Directed by Avijit Sen, the socio-political drama Pradhan, starring Superstar Dev, Anirban Chakrabarti, Paran Bandyopadhyay, and Soumitrisha Kundu, was released in theaters on December 22, 2023. The film garnered a box office collection of over ₹6.5 crores, making it the second-highest-grossing Bengali film of 2023, following *Chengiz*. The film premiered on Hoichoi on August 9, 2024.
The story centers on Inspector Deepak Pradhan (Dev), who marries Rumi (Soumitrisha Kundu) and is immediately transferred to Dharmapur, Jalpaiguri, to oversee a peaceful Panchayat election. Dharmapur is dominated by the corrupt local politician and Panchayat Pradhan, Jatileshwar (Anirban Chakrabarti).
Sub-Inspector Bibek (Soham Chakraborty) takes the newlyweds to the home of former schoolteacher Jibon Krishna Sarkar (Paran Bandyopadhyay) for shelter. The plot unfolds as Deepak Pradhan confronts the challenges posed by Jatileshwar and works to protect the local people while striving to ensure a peaceful election.
Superstar Dev delivers a convincing performance as Inspector Deepak Pradhan, commanding the screen throughout the film. While he keeps the audience engaged, the versatility seen in his past roles seems to be lacking.
His performances in Tonic, Projapoti, and now Pradhan feel somewhat routine, missing the challenges he’s known for. I anticipate that his upcoming film Pratiksha, also directed by Avijit Sen, will fall into a similar category. However, I have high hopes for Tekka and Khadaan, which might showcase the mass appeal of Superstar Dev that fans have been eager to see.
Paran Bandyopadhyay once again impresses with his performance. However, his character could have benefited from a few more scenes to fully develop the depth of his conflict with Jatileshwar. Anirban Chakrabarti delivers a solid performance in the antagonist role, and his confrontations with Dev are mostly enjoyable.
Soham Chakraborty is adequate in his supporting role, though his character suffers from weak writing. Mamata Shankar, playing Jibon’s wife Shanti, does not get much opportunity to showcase her talent. The relationship between Jibon and Shanti and their son is underdeveloped, leading to an unconvincing reunion at the film’s end.
Ambarish Bhattacharya delivers a good performance, while Koneenica Banerjee's role is limited by the script. Soumitrisha Kundu’s character has only a few scenes, leaving the impression that she was added to the script without much purpose. Dev and Soumitrisha Kundu's on-screen chemistry looks forgetful.
The music, composed by Shantanu Moitra, Anupam Roy, and Rathijit Bhattacharjee, is decent. Gopi Bhagat's cinematography beautifully captures the scenic landscapes of North Bengal. While the screenplay by Subhadeep Das falters in several areas, his dialogue writing stands out.
Avijit Sen's direction is competent, and Pradhan successfully highlights various societal and political issues in India. You can stream the film on Hoichoi to enjoy Superstar Dev’s performance and the engaging clashes between Dev and Anirban Chakrabarti.
Pradhan (2023) Bengali Movie Star Cast:
Kharaj Mukherjee, Kanchan Mullick, Sabitri Chatterjee,
Ambarish Bhattacharya, Koneenica Banerjee, Sohini Sengupta, Biswanath Basu,
Debasish Mondal, Ananya Banerjee, Sneha Basu, Sujan Mukherjee, Biswajit
Chakraborty, John Bhattacharya, Tulika Basu
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