Manabjomin review: Srijato’s debut feature film is verbose and long
Parambrata Chatterjee, Priyanka Sarkar, and Paran Bandyopadhyay excel in their performance but the film falls flat for lacking cinematic expressions
2.5/5
Jan 07, 2023
Parambrata and Priyanka
Manabjamin
Story: Kuhu (Priyanka Sarkar) and Sanket (Parambrata Chatterjee) have a dream to open a school for underprivileged children through her NGO Manabjomin. Her NGO loses a promised grant to another NGO that has more access to power. Sanket’s uncle Barin (Paran Bandyopadhyay) is keener to secure a place in heaven after life. He keeps an account of his good work so that he is not denied a position in his ‘dreamland’ in heaven. Sanket and Kuhu ask Barin to help them financially to build the school. But pious Barin wants to invest in real estate in heaven.
Review: Manabjomin has its heart in the right place. It tells a story of do-gooders and their moral dilemmas. It also focuses on how the urge for spiritual salvation can limit a person from their contribution in real life. The film reflects on how our willpower can bring real change in our universe.
However, Manabjomin has some real drawbacks. First, the film lacks images and that is replaced by heavy and long dialogues. Many of the events are verbally communicated to the audience, instead of visual representations. For example, we barely get to see the struggle of Kuhu’s students and their backgrounds to establish their crisis credibly. We understand that their families would marry them off only through her conversations with Sanket. The film ends with sentimental dialogue as if every single emotion needs to be told in words and not through acting. There are many such examples where events are told and not really visually represented.
Second, the film lacks smartness – not only in the script and dialogues but also in terms of editing. The flow of the film suffers due to the long and uninteresting dialogues.
And lastly, Srijit Mukherji’s entry into the film adds a lot of value in the teaser as a stunt but has zero contribution to the film. In the teaser, his entry and spirit of mocking himself as the ‘first boy of the industry’ generate humour. A little more elaboration from there in the film would do justice to his presence in the teaser.
Despite the drawbacks, the film showcased strong performances from Paran Bandyopadhyay, Parambrata, and Priyanka. While Barin’s character, Kharaj Mukherjee as Jibon and his friend Bijon bring some light moments in the film, Parambrata and Priyanka’s chemistry seems sizzling. Evidently, they make a fascinating on-screen pair. Also, both of them deliver solid performances. Mishka Halim appears a little unread as Barin’s doctor. The music is the strength of the film. From Arijit Singh’s Mon Re Krishikaj Janona to Indranil Sen’s rendition of Rabindrasangeet, Amala Dhabala Pale Legechhe – every song is well presented and received.
Verdict: Manabjomin is a good effort, especially in terms of its intention. Before its release, the film team, in fact, initiated to build a school in West Midnapore, in rural Bengal, for the education of underprivileged children. This has enormous social implications and that sums up the effort of the film. This deserves to be lauded.
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