Sequels rarely have it easy. A first film that becomes a hit sets a bar that audiences carry into the theatre, and every performance, frame and line of the follow-up gets weighed against it. Nandita Roy and Shiboprasad Mukherjee have the harder task here, and with Bohurupi – The Golden Daku, which hits theatres today, they pull it off. The film returns to a world where crime and conscience keep colliding, family loyalties are stretched, and the difference between right and wrong keeps slipping out of focus. It also comes at a time when Bengali cinema has its eyes on a larger global audience.
The film grips you early. The film goes on scene after scene, and the question of what happens next never lets go. By the end of the first half, you may catch yourself quietly hoping that Shiboprosad’s character Bikram Pramanik, the dacoit at the centre of the story, gets away. Against a backdrop of corrupt policemen, your sympathies shift to his side without you noticing. That is the film's biggest strength, and it comes from a sharp screenplay and Shiboprasad's performance. It is also the main reason the sequel edges past the original. You will hardly dare blink in case you miss something.
Shiboprasad Mukherjee dominates the film. His command of the role is so complete that the actors sharing the screen with him are under real pressure. One slip, and he can overshadow anyone in the frame. His accent, his expressive eyes, his charm all wins us over, again.
Abir Chatterjee's turn as the police officer in the first film was so well received that stepping into the role was always going to be a tough assignment for Jisshu Sengupta, and the comparison hangs over his scenes. Sohini's character is written to be thoroughly unlikable, and she plays it so effectively that viewers will find it hard to warm to her. The chemistry between Jisshu and Sohini is less convincing, though. It's one of the few places where the film loses some of its shine.
Shiboprasad and Koushani Mukherjee have the best chemistry. What has made both the Bohurupi films stand out is their romance, which has a familiar warmth, something that Shiboprosad and Nandita have always nailed.
Bohurupi – The Golden Daku is a sequel that justifies its existence. It has a tight screenplay, a lead performance that carries the film, and an emotional core that makes it more than a crime drama. And a short cameo from one of the greatest’s underlines the political edge of the film. If you want a Bengali blockbuster worth seeing on the big screen, this is it.
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