The Sonada films are a classic example of how, in case of certain genres, templates are what people crave for, and how templates work, every time. It also reflects a certain psyche among Bengali audiences. This never-ending thirst for hidden treasure is somehow linked with the “golden past” of the province. What does it say about us Bengalis? A desire to find out and be proud of one’s racial identity through the unearthing of a chapter of history, folklore or legend? Or is it a suppressed desire to uncover something valuable once and for all and then lead a relaxed life?

Having been part of a treasure-hunt franchise myself, I’ve often wondered about our audience’s obsession with this genre. The same goes for the idea of solving riddles. Once again, it’s a trope that’s been ageing well (with its takers, of course, cinematic boredom not withstanding) since the Feluda stories.

Of course, with the Sonada franchise, as also with the latest in the series, Saptadingar Guptodhon — the “quintessentially Bengali man driven by academic /scholastic interests setting out on a treasure hunt mission with two quirky sidekicks as they face a slew of riddles” (phew, that was a long sub-genre title!) — has been made simpler and fool proof, to reach out to the wider audience, and one must admit, it’s reasonably successful in its attempt.

The setting is our very own yet largely unexplored Sundarbans, which adds a green freshness to the eyes. While it could have been a little more gritty and exciting, I feel, the cinematography is tailored to fit the demands of the consumer of this franchise from this genre product. Bright, all visible, and an added dose of gloss.

The performances are apt for the characters because they’re meant to be. With a film like this, you walk in with your family to enjoy broad, less nuanced generic emotions, and actors like Rajatava Dutta deliver exactly that with Dashanan. Abir (the character, not the actor) and Jhinuk have grown up considerably in the last 10 years, as the franchise has grown as well.

The characters could have been given a little extra sobering that’s more suited to the age of the actors portraying them. Quite naturally, they have evolved through the years after their last three outings. It might be a good idea to see them married, settled and bickering in the next edition.

Abir’s Sonada is consistent with the way he has been in the last editions. He looks good while switching between the scholarly and suave action hero, thus feeding further into the ever-expanding Bengali (read female!) fantasy of Shakti Chatterjee meets Sylvester Stallone kinda man. I have always thought the portrayal of Sonada could be a little more stoic, a tad more poker-faced than what we see, but that’s probably me and the Harrison Ford fan in me! Abir (the actor) plays to his audience and gets it just right.

Special mention for the actors who have portrayed the “not so good by trying really hard!” Goons on the boat, lackeys to Dashanan.

The story? Reviews are not about telling the story anyway, but just know it’s a treasure hunt that starts with the discovery of a long lost book which has riddles in it… the trio land up in the mangroves… and the rest is exactly how you want a film like this to be, with a twist here and twist there.

I’m not a riddle fan. The repetition of this trope through multiple books and films in the Bangla language has set a little fatigue rolling in me. So, I’ll not judge the quality of them as found in this film. The humour in the banter I felt could have been sharper. For me, a few of the jokes didn’t really land, but I don’t really know the reason behind it.

But the one that lands is Abir’s (Arjun) monologue, where he narrates the crux of Manasamangal Kabya in quirky Gen Z social media lingo. Replacing Chand Sadagar reluctantly doing Manasa Pooja with Chand Sadagar hitting the like button on Manasa’s with his left hand is strangely familiar yet actually funny! Full marks to Arjun too, for pulling that off with the required elan!

Unlike a lot of other treasure hunt films, the BGM is less imposing and actually helps the film gain pace whenever it starts getting a tad stagnant.
Concluding words… is Saptadingar Guptodhon a pathbreaking film that needs to be written about in cinematic hall of fame? Certainly not! But it was never meant to be! It’s meant to be a wholesome crowd-pleaser, to be released over the summer holidays! And that’s exactly what it is. It’s got all the requisites of the genre and the audience it sets out to cater to!

As for the Bengali obsession for treasure, and riddles, well that warrants a different forum and a deeper anthropological discussion! Let’s save that for another day! Enjoy Saptadingar Guptodhon in the theatres, don’t wait for it to come on OTT! It’s a film meant to be watched on the big screen!

What impressed you the most in Saptadingar Guptodhon?
Tell t2@abp.in