Abir (Dev) and Pooja (Shubashree) are classmates who fall in love. Shubashree’s father, a dockyard mafia don, is so obsessively possessive about his daughter that he sends a bodyguard to escort her to college. Dev is a happy-go-lucky, fun-loving, disco-dancing young man. He is determined to win her hand without having to elope with her and with the consent of her dictatorial father. Bits of Dilwale Dulhania Le Jaayenge creep in. But Dev is no Shah Rukh Khan and Shubhashree is not Kajol, so the similarities do not jar. Lots of songs and dances, disco-hops and action scenes later, Dev manages to win the hurdle race with blocks placed in his way by the hilarious college principal on the one hand and Pooja’s father on the other. The two wed with the blessings of the parents of both girl and boy.
Technical Expertise
Raj Chakraborty has honed his skills in direction in television such as Mirakkel, a comedy show and Dance Bangla Dance, a dance-reality show. His first film, Chirodini Tumi Je Amaar, was the biggest hit of 2008. He carries the josh of youth forward both as his romantic lead and his target audience in Challenge. He wins the challenge hands down. There is no logic in the sequence of events in the way Pooja manages to lock up her father’s goons and go riding piggy-back on Abir’s BMW or in the manner in which Abir gives a stinging slap to his fast-asleep would-be father-in-law and runs away. Comedy is an exaggeration of reality so the total absence of logic is acceptable. Thanks to N.K. Salil, the P.C. Sorcar Junior of Bengali mainstream cinema, nothing jars except that terrible parody of the Vaishnava keertan, Bhojo gauranga nobo gauranga with the original tune twisted to fit into rock and other Western fast numbers. It is in very bad taste indeed not only because it makes fun of a religious song that has cultural and archival value, but also because it was unnecessary. Take the song away and the film will become better than what it is.
Jeet Ganguly’s music is good but it is getting too stereotyped. Though puritans will wince at the opening lines of the first song Nibina saala/panga nibina saala, it is the result of another Hindi inspiration Pappu can’t dance saala. Dev is very good at action and dance scenes but needs to brush up his acting. His slimming down has added to his visual appeal. Shubhashree is still rough, self-conscious and uncomfortable. The acting honours belong to Rajatabha Dutta who is the backbone of the film with his brilliant mix of comic villainy. He has fared much better than his Bollywood counterparts Kader Khan and Shakti Kapoor. Kharaj Bandopadhyay as the college principal is another big scream. Rabi Ranjan Maitra’s editing keeps pace with Somak Mukherjee’s sophisticated disco-cinematography. It is a crude comic-action romance but that is what the urban hep youngsters want and that is what Raj gives them. One just has to see the whistles blow every time Dev gets into his act and the girls go hoo-haa over his looks.
Rating
Three stars; one for the dialogue, one to Rajatabha Dutta for his brilliant acting and one for the rollicking entertainment it offers - the crudeness notwithstanding.
