Bogla Mama Jug Jug Jiyo review: Dhrubo Banerjee’s comedy is old-school and over-the-top

3.5/5

Story: Based on Rajkumar Maitra’s character, Bogla Mama is a middle-aged funny man who is mad about theatre and leads a gang of young men, including Kebu (Riddhi Sen), Tridib (Ujan Chatterjee), Sadhan (Sudip Dhara), Naru (Mithun Gupta), and Dhonu (Jeet Sundar). Felu Acharya (Rajatava Dutta) – a real estate mafia and a culture enthusiast – commissions Bogla to stage a play so that he can defeat the local headmaster. The story is about their prep-up and the lack of it. 

Review: Bogla Mama Jug Jug Jiyo is Dhrubo Banerjee’s attempt to bring back the quintessential comedy of the ’80s. While it takes a late start, the film finally delivers oodles of rolf moments and you come out of the theatre with a broad smile on your face if you are well-versed with Bengali films of similar genre of that period. The only concern is if this type of comedy is universal. 

There was a time when literary characters like Bogla Mama seemed real in Bengali society. People like Bogla Mama are essentially popular, funny, and confident – with or without any reason. They usually have dedicated followers who would swear by his name. Bengali literature has gifted us a number of such characters with their humorous tales. Bogla Mama captures that spirit with full gusto. The film is loud, funny, and engaging. It is a period film that showcases a neighbourhood in the ’80s. Evidently, it is easier to capture a slice of life from the ’80s in a village than in a city like Kolkata. The characters fit well with the narration.

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Traditionally, such films demand strong performers and Dhrubo Banerjee left no stone unturned to bring some of the finest actors on board. Kharaj Mukhopadhyay leads the team like a boss. Along with Rajatava Dutta, he proves that they can take the weight of a film and pass with flying colours. Bogla Mama has a bunch of youngsters – Kebu (Riddhi Sen), Tridib (Ujaan Chatterjee), Sadhan (Sudip Dhara), Dhonu (Jeet Surnor) and Naru (Mithun Gupta). They are also very good. Riddhi is one of the finest actors of his generation and he proves that. He is effortless. Along with his, Ujaan as Tridib, and Sudip as Sadhan are also very strong. Ditipriya demands a special meditation. She has limited scope in the script but she makes sure to leave a mark. 

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As mentioned, the film is loud and that fits well with the genre. The climax is the strength of the film which started a tad slow. One can watch it just for the climax as it is tightly written and carefully made. The film brings nostalgia for old Bangaliana. However, there lies a problem. The warmth of ‘para culture’ with relative-like neighbours and sibling-like friends is now replaced by overwhelming numbers of apartments and lukewarm cordial relationships between neighbours. This leaves a doubt if the comedy and the flavour of the film are universal. 

Verdict: Bogla Mama Jug Jug Jiyo is a happy and hilarious film. It offers unadulterated humour and one can enjoy the free-flowing film through and through. Do watch it!