Madly Bangalee works! Anjan Dutt weaves an engrossing musical around the lives of six young protagonists who struggle to create and keep together a Bangla rock band amidst a plethora of difficulties thrown up by contemporary life in the changing city of Calcutta.

The film is smartly made and creatively formatted in chapters.What makes it even more interesting is how Dutt throws in a number of contemporary socio-political issues like terrorism, religious divides, drug addiction, teenage sexuality and more without sounding didactic at any point of time. These issues come and go as casual references or are woven smartly into the plot thereby showcasing Calcutta as a nerve-centre of ideas, thoughts and actions that serve as a microcosm of the changing world scenario.

The plot, in a nutshell, deals with how four boys try to overcome myriad difficulties in their journey to find self-worth as members of the rock band Madly Bangalee. The difficulties include fighting for their rehearsal space, overcoming personal problems like parental discord, identity issues, sexual and drug-related issues, and finally, artistic problems.

Dutt himself plays a pivotal role in the film as the maverick do-gooder searching for a reference point in life to fill in his own emotional gaps. He arrives almost by chance at their garage rehearsal space and literally forces his way in as their mentor. His is a powerful performance, easy, cool and yet never losing a potent emotional energy that pervades both his own performance as well as the film.

The performances are uniformly good and in some cases excellent. The young cast is impassioned and delivers commendably. Saswata Chatterjee excels in his role of the alcoholic father of Neon. Chandan Sen as the goon with an iron fist and a golden heart is great to watch. Aparajita Auddy as the mother of an errant daughter brings forth a variety of shades. Pijush Ganguly, who plays the live-in man in her life (thereby showcasing the bold turns that Calcutta society is taking), is understated and likeable. Sudipa Basu as Saswata’s telephone operator wife (who wanted to be an actress) delivers her “Molina Debi” act expertly.

Baisakhi Marjit and Siddhartha Chatterjee as Pablo’s parents are endearing. Supriya Debi and Biswajit Chakraborty are excellent in their cameos.

Master bassist and painter Lew Hilt is a surprise package. His ageing good looks, deep baritone and slightly accented Bangla make him a perfect choice for the loveable “Bobbyda” who claims to be a descendant of Lord Dalhousie!

Neel Dutt’s music spreads a soothing contemporary sound through the film. The younger Dutt captures the essence of the subject matter at hand and delivers. The sound of rock in this film is not aggressive, but mellow and easy on the ear. Some really good singing and musicianship helps the cause.

Madly Bangalee is well written and scripted by Dutt himself, adeptly edited by Arghyakamal Mitra and smartly shot by Indranil Mukherjee. Efficient sound designing by Jojo and Anirban, and smart styling by Chanda Dutt help the film.

If there is anything to be slightly critical about, it is the rather hurried ending. The issues addressed in the film and the characters are introduced and developed well. Only the mounting of the finale falls slightly short of the expectations built up.

In spite of this, Madly Bangalee is a great watch. One must also add that if this is a sign of the way in which the Bengali film industry is moving, there is much to look forward to. Smart, low cost, true-to-life filmmaking that serves up an entertaining slice of modern life is surely the way to lure the viewer back to the theatre and Dutt has his finger on that pulse.

What did you like/not like about Madly Bangalee? Tell t2@abpmail.com