'Chengiz' review: Predictable gangster drama fails to create impact
What's the story
Bengali cinema's superstar Jeet's action drama Chengiz was released on Friday.
The actor is a household name for Bengali viewers for over two decades and this time he created history by making Chengiz the first Bengali film to have a simultaneous Hindi release.
The action flick is an amalgamation of all possible tropes and tricks used in gangster dramas over the years.
We review.
Plot
What is 'Chengiz' all about?
Chengiz is a period drama set in the '70s-'90s in the City of Joy (read: "terror"), Kolkata.
The film starts with a teenager Jaidev Singh witnessing his police officer father being killed by a goon. Revenge-thirsty Singh leaves his guardian ACP Samir Sinha's (Rohit Roy) house and embarks on the journey of becoming Chengiz, a dreaded gangster and drug lord.
Screenplay
Promising script fails to get reflected on celluloid
The story is penned by Neeraj Pandey and director Rajesh Ganguly. The film definitely seems to be looking promising from the writing but when watched on celluloid it seems to have been lost in translation.
Ganguly's shoddy screenplay and choice of narrative make it even more confusing for the viewers. The runtime is quite long and the makers could have made it crisper.
Action
Jeet: The messiah, and full-blown action
From the very first scene, the Ganguly directorial oozes out power-packed action. From shootouts to bloodshed, this film is all about gory, revenge, and toxic masculinity.
The action set pieces are well synchronized but the viewers wanted to witness fewer guns and more hand-to-hand combat scenes.
But, Ganguly makes it obvious that this film depends on only three things—Jeet, Jeet, and Jeet.
Technical
Inferior VFX, editing takes the thunder away
A pan-India project is always dependent on clear dubbing and this film falters in that arena. The makers should have focused on VFX as it was cheapjack. The soggy editing made it jarring after a point.
The music album created buzz and songs like Widda and Ragada add up to the adrenaline rush but look forced in the narrative of the film.
Character
Supporting characters are not sketched well
These male-led actioners exude toxic masculinity and RRR, KGF, Pushpa, et al will attest to the same. Chengiz is everything punched together on a low-budget.
The makers did not utilize Susmita Chatterjee up to her potential. She was merely used as a love interest and her character lacked depth.
Among other not so well fleshed out characters, only Shataf Figar's Nalli Bhai stands out.
Praise
Positive: Shataf Figar stands out; Jeet's dialogues are on point
Figar is a seasoned actor and he proves the same in this action drama too. The first half was still better compared to the second half and the full credit goes to him. His daunting look, accent, and screen presence makes an indelible mark on the viewers' mind.
Jeet delivers a commendable performance but falters in the emotional scenes.
Music
Anbu Selvan's background score is a treat
Surprisingly Anbu Selvan's background score is top-notch and hits the bullseye. From the very first scene, the music adds to the excitement, exudes the charisma of the character, and unleashes the rage.
Jeet picks the perfect pitch of the score and compliments it with his impeccable dialogue delivery.
With that stylish retro beard, he lives and breathes Chengiz.
Verdict
If you like this genre, do pick 'Chengiz' this weekend
It's a festive weekend and Jeet's magnum opus is pitted against Salman Khan's Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan. The latter has an upper hand but if Chengiz works at the box office, it will open the doors for Bengali cinema—an industry that has been struggling commercially.
This weekend, enter the empire of Chengiz which has no limits or boundaries.
Verdict: 2.5/5 stars.