Starring: Dev, Koel Mallick, Rajatava Dutta, Partha Sarathi

Directed by: Rajib

“Apni mithye boley meye-ke amar kachh theke niye jachchhen, eta apnar character. Ami America theke apnar shamne apnar meye-ke tule niye ashbo, eta amar character!” Dev the paglu swears to the father of the girl he is in love with.

Of the 12 films he has done in the last four years, Dev has played a lover boy in 11 of them (Dui Prithibi being the only exception). And every time, he has fallen for the daughter of a rich man, and promised to get his girl, come what may. So what’s new in Paglu? Well, he does all this, yet again, and a lot more.

The man of the moment had told t2 in a recent interview that a Dev film always comes with a “package” — Paglu lives up to that, and how! From the panoramic sweep of the snow-capped Swiss Alps and the sun and sand in Dubai to foot-tapping, hummable tracks and Nunchaku martial arts — Paglu is indeed one roller-coaster ride.

Koel Mallick and Dev at the private show of Paglu in Navina. Picture by Sanjoy Chattopadhyaya

Here you’ve got an orphan, Dev (that’s his name in the film too), who’s now in college. In walks the bilet-ferot Rimi (Koel) and life looks all rosy, till the girl’s US-based senator dad (Rajatava Dutta) shows up as the thorn. He urges Rimi to return to the US and plots to marry her off to an American. So, our gallant hero sets out on Mission America, and a few hurdles later, meets Rimi.

Post-interval, the lovers are on the run with the dad on their heels. What saves Paglu from becoming a drag? The catchy songs, the smart choreography and the slick cinematography. If the title track, Paglu thoda sa karle romance, gets you groovy, Janeman tui jibon is all soft and romantic. With these two take-home tracks, composer Jeet Gannguli is back with a bang.

Kumud Verma captures Dubai and Switzerland beautifully. Dev, as always, draws the maximum ceetis and taalis when he is dancing or fighting, while Koel looks gorgeous in almost all the frames.

Last word? Rajib (he has dropped the ‘Kumar’ from his name) has yet again dreamt big — after Dujone and Amanush — and to good effect.