Aschorjyo Prodeep

The poster reads: 'Ebare Bhoot Noye, Doittyo'. Anik Dutta, an ace satirist who dealt with supernatural phantoms in his last film, Bhooter Bhobisyot, turns to humans this time, an adult fantasy tale of apologetic middle class existence with unrelinquished aspirations and inexhaustible greed of the consumerist society. But the end result? Populist adventurism marred by bland sarcasm, half-potent wit and crass humour. The opening scene depicting the tongue-in-cheek banter between Paran Bandopadhyay and Manoj Mitra is delightful, and the rest an underwhelming departure from the initial promise. The magic lamp makes an unsuspecting detour in its fantastical journey from faraway Middle East to a bustling Calcutta by-lane. Introducing Shaswata, the average wife-fearing middle class Bong, unassuming goofy doofus and grumbling gossip-monger with boorish jokes. An impulsive boozer and compulsive numerologist, he's constantly bullied at home and badgered at office. Booby-trapped in elusive fantasies of Malamaal played by Mumtaz, a sultry actress invading his daydreams and wet dreams, he's desperate to revitalize his browbeaten machismo with the lamp's aid. Just a hapless condom salesman stuck in erotic inertia looking for an upgrade. His wife, Sreelekha is a pompous English-obsessed snooty housewife, always whining and complaining. It is later revealed that she is on a high pay-roll for late night booty-calls. All in the name of raising her son as an anglicised dandy, a concerned mother's unrighteous path of inglorious sacrifice. Enter Rajatava, the urbane and debonair tech-savvy genie, programmed to gratify material and sexual needs of mortals. There's a disclaimer of course: unqualified ineptitude in matters related to the heart. Major bummer! Trust investment is always subject to market risks. The film rolls on with the no-surprise expose at the end. A whoring wife to burst his short-lived bubble of a happy life. The chemistry between Shaswata and Rajatava is sparkling and the only saving grace in this two hour long misadventure. Rajatava clearly delivers the best performance in the film, with unbelievable fidelity to his character. The dated jokes and static character graph of the actors makes Aschorjyo Prodeep a forgettable cinematic experience, a far cry from the subtle yet penetrating sarcasm of the director's debut feature which was a dark and lively social satire.