Rating: 2.5/5
‘Bob Biswas’ follows the titular contract killer who has no memory of his past life. He develops a moral conscience and is in a dilemma about being the good or the bad guy. The movie is directed by Diya Annapurna Ghosh.
Story
Bob Biswas is a contract killer who was in a coma for the past 8 years. After recovering, he experiences memory loss and has no idea what his past life looked like. We learn that he has a wife, Mary, and 2 kids, Mini and Benny.
As soon as he is discharged, he is contacted by the same people for whom he used to work for. With no recollection of his past work, he has developed a moral conscience and is initially not ready to restart his work as a killer.
However, one thing leads to another and we see him shooting the neighbor, and subsequently completing his assigned tasks, thus becoming a full-time killer. The movie also centralizes the problem regarding a drug named Blue, which helps students focus on studying for longer periods of time.
In this web of crime and drugs, Bob finds himself fighting for his family while joining the dots to remember his past life.
Performances
Abhishek Bachchan has given his own touch to the much-loved character of Bob, which was earlier played by Saswata Chatterjee. While it’s tough to forget Saswata Chatterjee as the character, Abhishek makes an honest effort and admirably portrays, as well as looks the part. Whether it’s about depicting a killer, or a dorky insurance guy, he leaves no stone unturned to do justice to the part.
Chitrangda Singh plays the role of Bob’s wife, Mary. Her on-screen persona and the way she portrays the role of a dutiful wife are much appreciated. Even though the character is simple, she successfully gives out love and warmth, along with other nuanced emotions, in every scene she’s in.
Samara Tijori makes a great debut and is confident in her role as a struggling student. The rest of the supporting cast gives stellar performances.
Positives
The movie grips the audience from the start. The cinematography is commendable, as Gairik Sarkar beautifully captures the essence of Calcutta. The scene where Bob loses his wife and son, and his surroundings are darkened, with the spotlight just on him, was great.
The background score complements the scenes and heightens the intensity, where needed. Despite obvious loopholes, the movie plays out fairly well.
Negatives
While the movie captures the attention in the first half, it has elements of monotony. It seems stretched out sometimes, and it’s tough to keep the focus.
Some parts of the movie seemed unnecessary, like the whole pervert-colleague fiasco with Mary. It added no substance to the plot of the film.
There are no indications about how Bob finds his targets. He gets the picture and boom; he is there at the location. A hint about how he carried out his plans would’ve been better.
Despite the obvious crossover with the film Kahaani, the end was underwhelming and the movie overall fails to make an impact.
Worth it?
Even though this spin-off is not as thrilling as Kahaani, it deserves a one-time watch.
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