Friday film : Kellafate

Directed by: Pijush Saha

Starring: Ankush, Rupashree, Surajit, Rajatava Dutta

Bangkok’s scenic Crab Island to Hyderabad’s Ramoji Rao Film City to the Calcutta skyline — Pijush Saha’s Kellafate teeters on a wafer-thin plotline but packs some arresting visuals.

The mindless love story has lead pair Shibu (Ankush) and Pallabi (Rupashree) on their toes from reel one. Pallabi is running away from the evil MLA’s son (Surajit) who wants to rape and then marry her! Shibu comes to Calcutta to become a hero but plans to run away with the girl after they meet and fall in love — at first sight, of course — in a mela. With goons on their heels, the duo get on a raft, straight from the mela, and sail to an island where they have ample time to sing and dance.

Now, the twist in the tale. Shibu teams up with cop Raghab (Rajatava) to teach the MLA’s son a lesson. So, he dangles a carrot (read Pallabi) before the bad guy and starts tutoring him on how to woo a woman. If you thought it couldn’t get more absurd, the bad guy then morphs into an effeminate suitor from a rapacious schemer.

Meanwhile, the lovebirds get on with their coochie-cooing, even wrapping themselves in one towel! Well, there’s some more drama before the end credits roll but enough’s been said already.

Thumbs up: Ankush and Rupashree make quite a promising pair. The guy has decent dancing skills and expressions; the girl, too, is more than just a pretty face.

Thumbs down: Sloppy direction. A better plotline and fleshed-out script would have made producer Pijush Saha’s directorial debut a rather entertaining watch.