Bonyo Premer Golpo Review – A Ridiculous yet Entertaining Whodunit Thriller

BOTTOM LINE: A Ridiculous yet Entertaining Whodunit Thriller

Rating: 5/10

What Is the Story About?

Mrinalini, a sociology researcher in Kolkata, is trying to come up with a supposedly pathbreaking paper that would explore the motive behind crimes of passion. With the help of a friendly cop Subrato, she chooses three prisoners involved in acts of rape/murder who otherwise didn’t have a violent past. Mrinalini a.k.a Mini tries to understand the rage that made them commit those heinous crimes. However, a midnight call from the cops turns the tables where she is alerted that the murderers are on the loose and have escaped from jail. And soon, Mini even goes on to lose a loved one. Is her life in danger too? Why is she being targeted?

Performances?

The acting standards in the series are by no means great and it’s only thanks to the fast-paced script that a viewer oversees the limitations of its okayish star cast. Tanusree Chakraborty is the best of the lot though. She is spontaneous for the most part, staying ‘in the moment’ and keeping the mystery in her character alive throughout the show.

Shaheb Bhattacharjee also plays another suspicious character, that of a cop. Though he appears in almost every episode, there could have been more meat to his characterisation. Gourab Chatterjee’s role is brief to make any impact, while the supporting actors including Nondini Chatterjee, Indranil Mullick, Soumendra Bhattacharya, Prosun Saha and Rishi Kaushik are cast aptly for their roles.

Analysis

There are shows which despite their ridiculousness manage to be sincere in their storytelling pursuit. Bonyo Premer Golpo, one such example, preposterous from the word ‘go’, is truly the ‘wild love story’ that its title promises to be. Revolving around a sociology researcher, a possessive boyfriend, a cop and three murderers, the show keeps you on your toes, provided you watch it with an open mind.

While you expect the story to humanise the plight of three murderers who’ve killed their loved ones in a fit of rage and not with a pre-planned motive, the director visualises it more as a whodunit thriller than a drama. The flashback portions of each of the convicts spring up in bits and pieces and the narrative keeps you guessing about their motive. All of their crimes are portrayed to be an aftereffect of failed one-sided romances charged with lust and ones that don’t materialise into meaningful relationships.

Yet, it’s the sudden death of a principal character that provides the much-needed momentum and zip to the screenplay. The writing is smart enough to throw subtle hints at the killer, and yet not being very obvious about it. The thread about Mini’s mother being in a relationship with a much younger man contributes to the intrigue. The execution, with a hint of sophistication and better aesthetics, could have had a better visual appeal.

However, the best part of the tale is the climactic twist, which you wouldn’t foresee from a fair distance. The shock value of it is something else though the concerned character’s purpose behind the murder needn’t have been that silly and simplistic. Going by the modest filmmaking standards in the Bengali digital space, Bonyo Premer Golpo is still a reasonable watch. It’s another discussion that it could have risen a lot higher beyond the ‘one-time-watch’ tag.

Music and Other Departments?

Though the background score is on the louder side, it thankfully isn’t cacophony either. The tense moments are the lifeline of the show, where the composer doesn’t quite disappoint. The cinematography is fairly basic and ordinary, sometimes even voyeuristic. Better visual detailing and atmospherics would have been a value-addition to the viewing experience. The writing has its highs and lows, a few logical loopholes too, but is good in providing an instantaneous high to the viewer. Given the frivolity of the digital medium, this works.

Highlights?

Tanusree Chakraborty’s performance
Racy screenplay
A superb twist in the climax

Drawbacks?

Poor technical standards
An improbable premise

Did I Enjoy It?

In parts

Will You Recommend It?

If you really have time to kill

Bonyo Premer Golpo Review by Srivathsan Nadadhur