I am back with another film review, but this is a special one because I have never reviewed a Bengali film before. Having watched my third Bengali film of 2024 in the cinema hall, I could not resist the urge to come up with a review of the film simply because of how much I enjoyed watching it. The film is called ‘Athhoi’.
‘Athhoi’ is a Bengali-language film which was released on 14th June 2024. The film is an official adaptation of William Shakespeare’s timeless tragedy, ‘Othello’. The film stars Anirban Bhattacharya, Sohini Sarkar, and Arna Mukhopadhyay in the lead roles. The film is directed by Arna Mukhopadhyay, and Anirban Bhattacharya has assisted him as the creative director.
With a run-time of 158 minutes, ‘Athhoi’ is a clever adaptation of ‘Othello’ that explores the intricacies and complications of human relationships in a modern setup. The film also explores how the human mind can be easily played with, and how people can fall prey to manipulative tricks and techniques.
Just like the play Othello, the film Athhoi deals in the themes of jealousy, love and hatred, casteism and racism, and the complexities of the human mind. The film Athhoi was first adapted as a stage play and was later made into a film, keeping most of the theatrical elements of the stage play intact. Thus, the film is technically sound and cinematically brilliant.
Anirban Bhattacharya plays the role of Anagra Chatterjee aka “Gogo” and Arna Mukhopadhyay plays the role of “Athhoi” Kumar Lodha. Both these characters have lost their mothers at a young age, and they continue to grieve the loss of their mothers after many years, each one for different reasons. Gogo lost his mother to Cancer, and Athhoi lost his mother to malnutrition and menial labour.
Gogo lives in New Jersey, and is a researcher who studies about Cancer. He used to be a doctor. Athhoi is also a doctor, but he lives in a small village called Vinsura, and he wishes to establish a health care centre in the village, and serve the natives. Gogo comes to Vinsura all the way from New Jersey to play a game with Athhoi. Gogo and Athhoi are childhood friends, but the two seem to share a love-hate bond with each other.
It is unclear why Gogo hates Athhoi at times, but Gogo tries to play mind games with Athhoi so that Athhoi begins to believe what Gogo wants him to believe. Gogo manipulates Athhoi in such a way that he begins to believe that his wife, Diyamona (played by Sohini Sarkar), is unfaithful and is involved in an extra-marital affair.
Athhoi begins to believe what Gogo makes him believe, and he begins to doubt Diyamona’s loyalty. But he does not want to lose trust in humanity and feels that this could be an illusion. However, Gogo continues to manipulate him and proves to him how Diyamona is physically involved with another guy, Mukul. In a fit of blind rage, one night, Athhoi kills his wife by suffocating her in bed. The film more or less follows the plot of Othello, with a few cinematic liberties infused here and there.
In William Shakespeare’s Othello, there are five acts. Similarly, the film Athhoi is divided into five parts similar to theatrical acts. The director adapts the film to local settings (because the film is set in a small village) and contemporary times (because the film speaks of present-day global issues and the characters use smartphones to record videos).
Another notable feature about the film is the use of the literary device called “aside”. An “aside” is a literary device which is used in dramatic literature where a character directly interacts with the audience, and the other characters of the play are usually unaware of these interactions with the audience. Shakespeare used asides in his plays to bridge the gap between the characters onstage and the audience.
Similarly, in the film, the director has used asides to create conversations between Gogo and the audience. Needless to mention, the stylishly crafted eye-to-eye asides in the film create a real-time connection between Gogo and the audience. Gogo’s malevolence sends chills down the spine.
Soumik Haldar’s cinematography is outstanding. The film stands out from other Bengali films because of its excellent cinematography. The film is visually appealing, and watching it on the big screen is no less than a visual treat for the audience. The director has used natural elements such as light, fire, and darkness to add depth to the narrative. What eventually unfolds is a cinematic masterpiece that no one should miss watching on the big screen.
The sets are inarguably designed well, and every scene is shot splendidly. Outdoor scenes, indoor scenes, intimate scenes; every scene is masterfully artistic and adds depth and spice to the narrative and screenplay. The set designs and production designs make use of various symbolisms, metaphors, and props to bring a theatrical feel in most of the scenes. I loved how the director has retained the theatrical feel of the stage play in the movie.
Quite interestingly, the director also makes excellent use of colour schemes and colour palettes to create a visual impact and immersive atmosphere in the film. The colours used in each scene are specific to a particular mood, and the mood-specific colours used perfectly bring alive the moods of the film on the big screen. The screenplay, cinematography, camerawork, set designs, and production designs of the film are standout features that elevate the overall experience of watching the film.
All the actors have performed exceptionally well. I bow down to Anirban Bhattacharya and his prolific acting skills. The Bengali film industry needs more actors like him who can handle any role of any kind with utmost elan. He also excels as the creative director, and successfully incorporates both modern and traditional elements in a film that is an adaptation of an ageless classic.
Arna Mukhopadhyay has actively participated in stage plays and theatrical performances for many years now, and that reflects in his convincing acting performance. However, greater focus on his character would have given him more ample scope to prove his mettle as an actor. Sohini Sarkar, and the other secondary actors in the film, including Arpan Ghoshal, Mimi Dutta, and Ditipriya Roy, have also delivered impactful performances.
Another plus point of the film is its convincingly impactful background score. The songs of the film are interestingly composed and written, with words from the Shakespearean play which have been lifted from the play itself and have been used lyrically. The lyrics of the songs add depth to the screenplay, thereby creating a significant aural impact. Besides commendable acting performances and well-designed sets, the film boasts of captivating songs and impactful background music.
I also liked how the characters in the film were introduced, and how the character arcs were allowed to evolve and develop. Shakespearean plays are known for their vivid expositions, and I felt that the film Athhoi also excels in the way it exposes and develops its characters and their character arcs. However, a drawback of the film is that it has too much of Gogo, who appears as the perfect devil’s advocate. Gogo’s excessive screen-time somehow creates a disconnect between Athhoi’s character and the audience, leaving the viewers wanting more in terms of Athhoi’s character arc.
The film Athhoi emerges as a bold experiment in the Bengali film industry, considering how Bengali films are hardly experimental these days. The director Arna Mukhopadhyay has definitely tried to create something extraordinary and out-of-the-box, and it wouldn’t be wrong to say that he has succeeded in creating a film that is nothing less than a cinematic masterpiece!
Despite all its good aspects, the film does have a few bad aspects. The portrayal of women in the film is a tad bit problematic. The female characters in the film are depicted as meek and timid characters, who can be easily manipulated, controlled, and used to satisfy men’s carnal pleasures.
The female characters in the film are portrayed as submissive characters who give in to the unnecessary demands, and controlling and often abusive attitudes of the men who they are in love with. The problematic portrayal of women in this film reminded me of how women were portrayed as “objects” in Ranbir Kapoor’s ‘Animal’ which was released last year.
Another drawback feature of the film is of course the limited screen-time and presence of “Athhoi” Kumar Lodha, shifting the focus entirely on Gogo and his wicked designs. Also, the exact reasons why Gogo hates Athhoi so much, and why he maliciously tries to ignite feelings of envy and betrayal in Athhoi, are not adequately explored. Too much of Gogo leads to not enough of Athhoi, and this lack of balance between the two character portrayals creates a void in the film’s otherwise impressive overall impact.
The director and writers try to integrate contemporary issues such as climate change, poverty and malnutrition, and the attacks on Rafah to show how these global issues also impact Athhoi’s mental state, and how he gradually turns “mad” and “crazy”. I felt that the integration of these issues into the narrative of the film was not really necessary, as it did not have a significant role to play in carrying forward the plot of the film.
Also, I felt that the narrative of the film was slow-paced in certain portions, and the film could have been better-paced. At the same time, Gogo’s continuous fourth wall breaks (asides) were becoming repetitive, hindering the development of the other characters and the sub-plots in the film. The film fails to stir one’s emotions and does not tug at the heartstrings like it should have, thus emerging as a relatively stoic and apathetic interpretation of the timeless Shakespearean classic.
All in all, ‘Athhoi’ is a technically and cinematically brilliant film that kept me glued to the screen till the inevitable, gruesome climax. However, it is a serious and artistic film that all kinds of viewers may not like to watch. That depends on the taste of the viewer. I thoroughly enjoyed watching the film, though. In my opinion, ‘Athhoi’ is a must-watch because of its captivating cinematography, experimental approach, praiseworthy acting performances, excellent set designs and production designs, and well-paced screenplay.
You can watch ‘Athhoi’ in cinemas now! If the film is not available in your city, you can watch it on Hoichoi once it is available for streaming.