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Star Cast: Prosenjit Chatterjee, Aaryan Bhowmik, Rajnandini Paul, and others.
Director: Chandrasish Ray
What’s Good: The backdrop of the majestic ruins of Hampi and the quest for a hidden treasure. The use of myth and history to weave a story.
What’s Bad: The pacing and acting. The script meanders and doesn’t really deliver the highs usually expected of an adventure movie.
Loo Break: Anytime you want and as many times.
Watch or Not?: Only if you have nothing better to watch. There are far better options in the same genre.
Language: Bengali
Available On: Hoichoi & Jio Hotstar
Runtime: 1 hour and 48 min
User Rating:
The adventure takes us to the majestic ruins of Hampi (the seat of the erstwhile Vijaynagara Empire) and to the banks of the Tungabhadra River. Prosenjit, who plays Kakababu, is tasked with the quest for a precious diamond, the Hen’s Egg, which, according to myth, is the lost jewel of the Vijaynagara Empire. Along the way, he has to fight adversaries and decode cryptic clues and codes to succeed.
Vijaynagar’er Hirey Movie Review: Script Analysis
The movie opens in the past on a high-stakes chase on hilly terrain, a botched attempt at giving the chase a Sin City feel! Kakababu manages to escape the villains but ends in a fatal crash, in the process losing his leg, and backstory of his limp.
Cut to present-day Kolkata, in a museum of antiques. Terrorists take the museum hostage but are neutralized single-handedly by Kakababu! He pronounces with great elan, “This is Kakababu’s Kolkata. Invaluable artifacts cannot be stolen for somebody’s fancy!” Thus setting the tone for further adventure.
Kakababu, along with his nephew Shontu (Aaryan Bhowmik), sets off to Hampi on a holiday. There, he checks into a heritage hotel along with his friends Rinku, her husband Ranjan, and a young drummer, Jojo. But in reality, he has been summoned by his former mentor, Prof. Bhagawati Prasad Sharma, a genius and an ailing man with a hidden secret. Prof. Sharma urges Kakababu to start the quest for a lost/hidden jewel, the Hen’s Egg, a precious diamond.
Kakababu has to overcome many hurdles and adversaries in his quest for the jewel. There’s a local antique mafia, which is after the jewel; a tribal clan called Kavach, the original guardian of the treasure; and backstabbers (friends who turn foes out of greed). Using ancient architecture, history, and folklore, Kakababu decodes cryptic clues and numerical codes.
Along the way, Kakababu’s mentor, Prof. Sharma, is murdered, and the burden of seeking the truth gets even heavier for him. Does he find the diamond? What else does he discover? Forms the base of the film.
Vijaynagar’er Hirey Movie Review: Star Performance
Prosenjit Chatterjee, as Kakababu, is comfortable in the role, as he has reprised it for the 4th time in a row. He’s understated and controlled and pulls off a fine act. The way he explains historical facts or solves mind-numbing clues looks natural. He looks the part of an intelligent, intense truth-seeker. Prosenjit puts on a convincing act as the limping sleuth ready to outsmart his adversaries.
The rest of the cast is there to support Kakababu. Their part in the film could certainly have been better written. Aaryan Bhowmik as Shontu is confused and not impactful. His character is sketchy, and he doesn’t come across as a convincing sidekick for Kakababu. The villain Mohan Singh (Anujoy Chattopadhyay) hams his way through. One is confused by his character arc. Where is he from? Is he a local or a Bengali? And his insufferable South Indian accent! Trash!
The other characters, Rinku, Ranjan, and Jojo, barely make an impact. Sometimes you feel their presence is only for the head count. And that funny revelation at the end that Ranjan is an IB officer in disguise! But it has no part in the script to justify this bit. Jojo plays the bumbling idiot, and if he was intended to be the comic element, then the purpose is not served! Rajnandini Paul as Kasturidevi Raya plays the role of an actress and a princess of the Chandragiri dynasty! And she speaks fluent Bengali! Did I miss any part of her history or past?! Then there’s her U-turn towards the end, which is a predictable twist and hardly surprising!
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Vijaynagar’er Hirey Movie Review: Direction, Music
Chandrasish Ray’s direction lacks freshness and feels dated. There is too much emphasis on trying to be cool. But the treatment is dated and follows the stereotypes and formula right through. There is over-the-top acting, stereotypical villains, and weak action choreography. The film meanders and lacks the pace or dramatic highs of an adventure movie.
Despite the majestic backdrop of Hampi and the ruins, the cinematography and shooting don’t actually capture the grandness. The ruins could have been a perfect setup for an intriguing and tense film, but the screenplay falls short. The direction follows the regular tropes of a commercial film, glorifying the hero, over-dramatic acting, emphasis on punchlines, and a weak character arc of the supporting cast.
Vijaynagar’er Hirey Movie Review: The Last Word
The movie has an interesting plot. It does weave historical facts and myth into a fun adventure story. But the screenplay doesn’t do justice. The pacing is inconsistent, and in places, the hamming of the supporting cast, especially the villain, can get tiring. Overall, you can give it a one-time watch.
Kakababu, with his problem-solving skills and knowledge of history, keeps you engaged. It’s quite nice how, in the end, Kakababu solves the riddle and enters the secret chambers to find the treasure. Special mention for the production design here, good detailing of the period props, and a well-constructed set.
Vijaynagar’er Hirey Trailer
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