Crime as a genre feels overdone in popular culture, no thanks to the overdose of true crime shows and procedurals on streaming platforms. For anyone who consumes such content, nothing piques interest in form or a setup or story that they haven't seen before. Yet, if something well-crafted comes along, you tend to give it a try. I saw Bob Biswas when it released on OTT last Friday, and found it average, it was a largely entertaining small thriller/crime caper set in the underbelly of Kolkata. Few scenes and elements were going on in the head and I decided to rewatch it last night. And this time, I was able to appreciate the nuances, the world building, the characters, the small-town-noir elements a bit more.
Among the few things I liked were how the writing respects the character arcs. Bob Biswas goes from a rather clueless man coming out of a coma to a 'creature of habit' cold-criminal and then again on a path of seeming redemption and back to crime? And in this entire gamut of arcs, Abhishek Bachchan is convincing, in an honesty of craft which he has often shown in his better films. He treats Bob Biswas with his own ingenious mannerisms, the look working very well this time, with the setting, with the sometimes dimwit sometimes laughably confused and sometimes evil with a wink portrayal. On the second watch, I could also appreciate the storyboarding, the comic-book like frames, like the night terrace view in particular, or the ones in the streets. This all feels very lived-in, from an eye of an insider. I never thought I would embrace the mise en scene so much as I did here in another crime film based in Kolkata, having seen quite a few of them.
The writing is fresh here, even when it tackles familiar elements(the backdrop of a drug conspiracy, code of conduct of the crime circles, informers, detectives in disguise, secret diaries, keys to a criminal database).
The casting is superb. I liked the fact that not everyone is your stereotypical Bengali here, nor do you see characters mouthing stuff like Rosogulla or Tagore before you can say Tollygunge. The quirky man-Friday-detective duo is also fresh and not your average paunch-sporting Jishu-Da's. Kali Da(Paran Bandhopadhyay), who I remember from a Ray-tribute-anthology called Jekhane Bhooter Bhoy, is a hoot here, and is winning all the scenery chewing laurels in every review and rightfully so. Chitrangada Singh is a welcome return to well written films and characters like the one she plays here, and not a mere showpiece. Purab Kohli, Tina Desai, Samara Tijori all lend a richness to the atmosphere like perfectly fitting pieces in a crime novel.
The score is above average, the songs are minimal, and really complement the narration.
What the film leaves wanting for more is mostly in the area Bob is most interested in- crime. I could have easily taken some more deliciously crafted kills. You do see the oddball murders happen and they are entertaining in their own zone, but one wishes there were more that explored the brilliant setting, of decrepit buildings, rundown police station backyards, govt. Offices. I understand these are minor quibbles, and more so from the view of an avid crime watcher. Other than that, this is a solid entertainer, which pays off well and in bounds on a repeat watch.
After watching the film, I did check out few scenes from Kahaani(never seen it), and Saswata Chatterjee's Bob Biswas, and found it entertaining. I feel Abhishek Bachchan had a tough challenge on his hands, of taking a one-note-goofy-big-eye character to a complete film that explores the man behind the apparent scare-games and he has successfully done that, and then infused it with some more story-led flesh and blood(excuse the pun) to give us a satisfying mild-crime-Kolkata-noir film.
Among the few things I liked were how the writing respects the character arcs. Bob Biswas goes from a rather clueless man coming out of a coma to a 'creature of habit' cold-criminal and then again on a path of seeming redemption and back to crime? And in this entire gamut of arcs, Abhishek Bachchan is convincing, in an honesty of craft which he has often shown in his better films. He treats Bob Biswas with his own ingenious mannerisms, the look working very well this time, with the setting, with the sometimes dimwit sometimes laughably confused and sometimes evil with a wink portrayal. On the second watch, I could also appreciate the storyboarding, the comic-book like frames, like the night terrace view in particular, or the ones in the streets. This all feels very lived-in, from an eye of an insider. I never thought I would embrace the mise en scene so much as I did here in another crime film based in Kolkata, having seen quite a few of them.
The writing is fresh here, even when it tackles familiar elements(the backdrop of a drug conspiracy, code of conduct of the crime circles, informers, detectives in disguise, secret diaries, keys to a criminal database).
The casting is superb. I liked the fact that not everyone is your stereotypical Bengali here, nor do you see characters mouthing stuff like Rosogulla or Tagore before you can say Tollygunge. The quirky man-Friday-detective duo is also fresh and not your average paunch-sporting Jishu-Da's. Kali Da(Paran Bandhopadhyay), who I remember from a Ray-tribute-anthology called Jekhane Bhooter Bhoy, is a hoot here, and is winning all the scenery chewing laurels in every review and rightfully so. Chitrangada Singh is a welcome return to well written films and characters like the one she plays here, and not a mere showpiece. Purab Kohli, Tina Desai, Samara Tijori all lend a richness to the atmosphere like perfectly fitting pieces in a crime novel.
The score is above average, the songs are minimal, and really complement the narration.
What the film leaves wanting for more is mostly in the area Bob is most interested in- crime. I could have easily taken some more deliciously crafted kills. You do see the oddball murders happen and they are entertaining in their own zone, but one wishes there were more that explored the brilliant setting, of decrepit buildings, rundown police station backyards, govt. Offices. I understand these are minor quibbles, and more so from the view of an avid crime watcher. Other than that, this is a solid entertainer, which pays off well and in bounds on a repeat watch.
After watching the film, I did check out few scenes from Kahaani(never seen it), and Saswata Chatterjee's Bob Biswas, and found it entertaining. I feel Abhishek Bachchan had a tough challenge on his hands, of taking a one-note-goofy-big-eye character to a complete film that explores the man behind the apparent scare-games and he has successfully done that, and then infused it with some more story-led flesh and blood(excuse the pun) to give us a satisfying mild-crime-Kolkata-noir film.
