Option number three is the strongest. Arguably the most successful hit pair of modern Bengali cinema is back. You can squeeze out its romanticism without compromising the script-acting, the decision is yours!
The fourth contestant is a weak competitor. He didn't get that much spotlight before the fight started. He entered the ring with the title of 'black horse'. But the post-autumn reckoning says that the underdog won! Eken Babu (anirban chakraborty eken babu) has taken the limelight by beating Deshu 7, Emperor vs. Sarat Chandra, Bahurupi-2.
Business figures are important. Whose shows were housefull, who was ahead in advance bookings—these are certainly important information. It is easy to plan for the future. But does it reveal the true essence of popularity?
'Ekene' director Joydeep Mukherjee (eken babu kerala e kurukshetra) did not follow the path of flashy promotions. He does not have the issue-based card of the 'Autumn-Sixtieth Anniversary' group in his hand. There is no nostalgia in the cliché of 'is there any curse on childhood love' of actors and actresses. He did not choose the laborious strategy of visiting the houses of various stars in the guise of Bahurupi, which goes with the film.
Don't get me wrong. All the above initiatives are commendable as a promotion and all the fourteen annas that are available should be increased to sixteen. But the fact that the pulses do not melt in that, the acting-script logistics are equally important, as is the clear proof of 'The Eken: Keralaay Kurukshetra' (anirban chakraborty eken babu).
Let's come to the words of Deshu7. Naturally, two types of reviews have come to the fore. Many have praised the chemistry of Dev-Shubhasree, Anirban Bhattacharya's acting, several action sequences, and the use of background score. But in the negative feedback, significantly, one thing is almost being said: 'The film has a lot of scenes that are shocking!'
I will not go into the truth of this statement. Maybe it is an exaggeration. Or a half-truth. Or a blatant slander. Still, the fact that the complaint spread like wildfire, in my opinion, is very important.
I remember the Puja last year. Dev's action-packed film Raghu Dakat was released. It was a blast. Raghu's production, the larger than life scale, was praised by the enthusiastic audience. At that time, there were no accusations of embezzlement. There were no cries of how, how much has been appropriated, why! Bengali films are walking parallel to South Indian films. And while walking like this, they are becoming mature and strong—this was the argument that received strong support.
Now the wind has suddenly turned. Dhurandhar's superhuman appearance, mixing good and bad, is an 'event' in terms of Indian films. The scale of acting has risen so much, the abundance of the script has reached the sky in such a way, the choreography has diversified in so many ways, the action is so intense and exciting, that even the 'sky is the limit' adage pales in comparison to the rest! Dhurandhar's audience has seen it all. There is nothing left. All the twist moves, the various variations of Mardanga are over. There is no hunger. And so the need for corruption is also nonsense! Dev is not the only one who is unlucky. We see, Rajinikanth's 'Jailer 2' has been released almost silently. What was unthinkable even a few years ago! There is no stinginess in promotion. Promotional reels have been floating around on Instagram. Yet where are the viewers and the hall chanting their fame and glory?
At this juncture of awakening, a name emerges, almost a rival character, who has changed the design and formula of recent Indian films to a great extent: Fahadh Faasil!
Actually, an uncomfortable question is hidden with this name. In an industry where hero means pride of image, someone has entered there who does not have a muscle movement in his body, and the waves of his combed hair cannot even be played. Yet, the audience is captivated as soon as they see him on screen.
Why?
To find the answer, we must first return to the temple where the daily aarti of superstars used to be performed.
Southern films have deeply influenced not only Tollywood but also the modern Pan India film industry, mixing good and bad. This is an established truth. The theory of the South is quite simple. There, the screen means the temple, and the hero is the deity. Rajinikanth, who has been present in the eighties and nineties with his special cigarette-smoking style, Chiranjeevi's defiant gait, Mammootty-Mohanlal's nobility. Their entries are in slow-motion tracking shots. Dialogues were written so that there was a roar in the hall. Characters were created in such a way that they would never lose, pure in morality like a basil leaf. The story was based on the image of the 'hero'. There was no separate space for the 'character' to be broken.
This system of restraint has dragged down the industry for decades, no doubt. But hasn't it also built up a sense of weariness? After the arrival of OTT, viewers have seen films in various languages of the world. Where the hero slips. He gets scared. He loses to himself. The 'god' of the screen is no longer as perfect. The audience is no longer willing to accept him without question as before. The gap is gradually widening like this. Fahadh Faasil turned him into a gap.
Fahad, son of Fazil. Despite being the son of a famous director, his first innings were not easy. He returned slowly, with a lot of breaks, in a different mood. He chose characters where the hero's ego is broken, arrogance emerges, and fear is clearly visible in the corner of his eyes. This is where the real rebellion is. He gave more importance to saving his character than saving his image.
Think of Shammi in 'Kumbalangi Nights' (2019). Polite, handsome, an ideal man in the eyes of his family. But inside, he is a poison of misogyny. It is doubtful whether a big star would have played such a character. The reason? Fear of breaking that image! Fahad took the character and portrayed it with such naturalness that the audience shivered. Shammi is terrifying. A good boy from the neighborhood to look at and listen to. Deep darkness in his heart.
In 'Maheshinte Pratikarame' (2016), he is a photographer from a small town. He loses in a minor fight on the street. He vows not to wear slippers until he takes revenge. There are no heroic scenes in the film. There is the pain of being small in the eyes of society, and the huge weight that petty ego can carry—his hairy calculation. We will also remember 'Malik' (2021). There, he is a man who carries the loss of power in his body over a period of several decades. There is no superman in the film. There is the unspoken pain of a character who has made mistakes and paid the price.
And here is Fahad's real victory. He has shown that an actor can gain strength even by being a weak, broken, incomplete character. The audience loves him for his helplessness. Not because of his towering success. And this new love is now the new benchmark in the changing industry.
'The Eken: Kerala Kurukshetra' was released on October 16. Eken Babu has completed nine seasons on OTT and three installments on the big screen. It is said that fatigue accumulates in such a packed bag. But from the first day, the hall-filled show is giving signs of something else.
To understand the reason, one has to go into the story. The thread of which is caught in the conclusion of the previous 'Puruliay Pakrao'. Mihir Sen is a missing nuclear scientist. He has a nuclear code. Which Irfan Fazil (Ritvik Chakraborty) is desperate to get hold of. The anti-terror squad brings Eken to Kerala in search of Mihir. Then a mysterious phone call and the game of cat and mouse begins, with twists and turns every moment.
The screenplay is written by Joydeep Mukherjee and Padmanabh Dasgupta. The basis of the character and story is indeed the creation of the late Sujan Dasgupta. Although his influence is hidden. The mood of the narrative leans towards action. The entire story is not told from the eyes of one person. Fragments of images accumulate from multiple perspectives. And the viewer has to piece them together. The answer to the mystery is not revealed in the hero's one-sentence dialogue in the last scene. The audience has to rack their brains collectively.
The biggest risk with Ekenbabu was his appearance. Middle-aged, bald, a glutton. No hero formula works around such a person. Anirban Chakraborty did not even try to fit into that mold. Instead of dressing the hero, he brought out the character's flaws. He broke the stereotype. During the investigation, a sudden reference to a local post, strange logic, the fun of proverbs... all these make people laugh. Trust is built on the basis of that laughter.
Here, you are the one who remembers the Fahadh Faasil issue. Recently, SS Rajamouli publicly confessed: He once thought that Fahadh's films were only for educated, tasteful audiences. The idea was shattered by the question of a fifty-five-year-old cousin. The woman from a small town came to Hyderabad and asked, 'Have you seen Fafa's film?' Rajamouli did not know who 'Fafa' was at that time. Later, he understood that it was Fahad. His reach is not limited to the elite. Even the common people of Telugu land have easily recognized him.
The last one is not perfect. For example, Ritwik Chakraborty's performance as Irrfan is strong, but it borders on caricature at some places. The impression of a Bengali accent is also noticeable in the Hindi-Urdu dialogues. Raima Sen's (Deepa) mysterious role could not reach any great place. A missed opportunity from the beginning. Several other characters, who could have fulfilled the demands of the story, did not get enough attention. The initial judgment of the film's release is not fully judged on that. Yet, by what mantra did a detective story win over the glittering publicity of big star films during the Puja?
To find the answer, we have to go back to Rajamouli's wonder. Middle-class parents, small-town audiences, and neighborhood friends have figured out which stories will appeal to them these days. The 'sea of high-wire' monster action has had enough. The tired Bengali audience has chosen Eknai with its milder setting to 'sit face to face'.