Sasurbari Zindabad

During the decade of the 90's, Bengali mainstream cinema had hit abysmal depths in virtually all fields of film-making. From script, acting, picture quality, production values, locales to cinematography every aspect bore testimony to the dark age Tollywood was passing through. And about music, their lyrics and picturisation, the less said the better! But even at this stage if there was one thing that arrested the attention of the harshest of critics, it was the divine chemistry between the reigning superstars of the decade: Prosenjit & Rituparna! The duo single-handedly carried Tollywood upon their shoulders by notching up countless triumphs at the box-office that ensured the necessary oxygen supply for the gasping industry.

But by the turn of the century, virtually nothing could pull the audiences into the theatres any longer. Fed up by a string of losses, the largest production house in Tollywood Shree Venkatesh Films had decided to drop shutters. But before that they opted to go for one last throw of the dice. With a nothing to loose attitude they decided to give it their all; and for this final do-or-die gamble they could settle for who else but the ever-bankable Bumbada and Ritudi? The biggest hero, heroine and producer joined forces to rescue Tollywood at its greatest moment of crisis; and the rest, as they say, is... History!

The result of this historic collaboration was 'Sasurbari Zindabad' which re-wrote every single record in the record-books. The film netted an unthinkable INR 2.50 crore at the box-office that sparked a turnaround for the entire industry, eventually leading to a glorious revival for Bengali cinema by the end of the next decade.

There were novelties galore ranging from a fresh comic angle in the story-line to a lavish canvas of 70 lakhs that could have accounted for this landmark success. But honestly, it's still the electrifying chemistry between Prosenjit & Rituparna which is easily the USP of the film. They have always looked more beautiful than what they already are, whenever they have come opposite each other even in the most mundane sequences on-screen. But in this film, the makers have completely repackaged their chemistry in a never-seen-before cocktail. From designer costumes, glamorous makeup to colourful sets and a picturesque setting of Siliguri, the team added a touch of style hitherto unseen to the legion of fans of this iconic pair. Rituparna is at her beautiful-best in every scene while Prosenjit pulls off his macho-romantic image with aplomb. In fact, their chemistry in the songs 'Chuk Chuk Chuk Railgari' and 'Sona Mona' simply sets the screen on FIRE!

But no review of this film would be complete without a mention of the biggest highlight of the film:.... The KISS! One had to rub their eyes in disbelief when they saw Prosenjit & Rituparna actually pecking each other on the lips! Although they had locked lips (and much more naturally at that) previously in Rituparno Ghosh's 'Utsab' (2000); but doing so in a mainstream film was simply unthinkable! Yet, inspite of its amateurishness, for thousands of Bumbada-Ritudi fans this was a moment of dream-come-true and we just can't express our gratitude from any greater depth of our heart...

Frankly speaking, barring the lead-pair there's very little in the film that works. The 1st half which is loosely inspired from the Aamir Khan-Karishma Kapoor blockbuster 'Raja Hindustani' (1996) is clearly superior to the 2nd half where the focus shifts away from the leads' chemistry. The camera-work is shoddy although the cinematographer manages to capture Siliguri in a refreshingly all- new light. The production-values and cinemascope picture-quality are above-par; but still falls well short of a film like 'Sudhu Ekbar Bolo' (1999). The film has childish continuity errors while the acting is extremely loud, especially by Subhasish. Although the seven songs are quite forgettable with unforgettably horrible lyrics, it's testimony to the Bumba-Ritu sensation which made the song 'Chokh Tule Dekhona' a chartbuster even in the dead film-music scenario of those days!

16 years down the line there's no doubt about the fact that 'Sasurbari Zindabad' is a very dated film in today's time and age, although it was a trend-setter back then. But still, a legion of Prosenjit- Rituparna fans like me shall keep on revisiting this film for ages to come in order to get a taste of the classic Bumbada-Ritudi romance at its very best...!