Gumnaami (Bengali): Movie Review

Synopsis

'Gumnaami' signifies anonymity. It signifies someone who is trying to hide his identity. When a leader like #SubhashChandraBose has to hide his identity, there is certainly a strong mystery associated with it. The film '#Gumnaami' raises pertinent questions associated with the mysterious death of #SubhashChandraBose.

As #SrijitMukherjee had promised during the promotion of the movie, he emphasized on three main theories surrounding the death of #SubhashChandraBose. These three theories were discussed in front of the  '#MukherjeeCommission'. As the name of the movie suggests, the theory of #GumnaamiBaba was given more importance in the film.

Most of the facts and evidence of the film are taken from two books on this topic - #AnujDhar's '#India'sBiggestCoverUp' and '#Conundrum' written by #AnujDhar and #ChandrachurGhosh.  

Direction

#SrijitMukherji always makes larger-than-life movies. It would have been difficult for any other director to think of making this movie on such a huge canvas. The director had to fight against several odds but he stood strong. He took the challenges to portray a mystery like this on the big screen, and his plan was well-executed in this film. 

The most amazing part is the way in which the story is presented. The director has explained the complicated theories associated with Bose's death in such a simple way that the audience can easily connect with it. The research work behind the film is also commendable; however, the director could have gone to a depth in a few areas. 

Srijit has brought back Bose from the pages of history and tried to highlight those incidents which haven't got much public attention till now. Kudos to the filmmaker for this brave attempt. 

Technical Department

The editing of the film is praiseworthy. Several jump-cuts are used in the film to maintain the pace of the movie. Also, the dialogues are well written. The cinematography of #SoumikHalder is splendid! On a whole, it is a well-made film of 2 hours and 20 minutes that will keep the audience intrigued. 

Music and Background Score

The music director #IndradipDasgupta is known for his melodies. In this film, all the songs are heart touching. The songs have been used aptly in the movie. #SonuNigam's 'Subhas Ji' will linger in your ears even after you leave the hall.

Performances 

The performances of the star cast have taken the movie to another level. #ProsenjitChatterjee has done a brilliant job to portray the character of 'Netaji'. Credits should also go to the makeup artist #SomnathKundu for recreating the natural looks of Netaji. #ProsenjitChatterjee has worked really hard to portray the character of #SubhashChandraBose and it is visible on the screen. #AnirbanBhattacharya has delivered one of his career-best performances in the film. His character is backed by the writer, and Anirban has mesmerised everyone with his dialogue-delivery skills. #TanusreeChakraborty tried to give her best in the limited screen time that she had. Rest of the cast members also did a perfect job. 

WMR Verdict

#Srijit Mukherji never draws a proper conclusion to his films and likes to leave the audience in an open area where they can interpret their own versions. In this movie, the director has done the same. The audience will have a lot to contemplate after watching the movie. Few months back, a movie named '#TheTashkentFiles' had released in Bollywood. These kinds of movies are raising a lot of questions. The true history would hopefully be disclosed at some point in time. Many can question why the audience should watch '#Gumnaami' in the theatres. The answer will be clear only after watching the movie.

Another blockbuster on the cards by Srijit Mukherji!!

WMR Rating: 4/5

Directed by: Srijit Mukherji

Produced by: Mahendra Soni, Shrikant Mohta

Screenplay by: Srijit Mukherji

Story by: Srijit Mukherji

Starring: Prosenjit Chatterjee, Anirban Bhattacharya, Tanusree Chakraborty

Music and score: Indradip Dasgupta

Cinematography: Soumik Haldar

Genre: Drama, Mystery

Release date: October 2, 2019

Running time: 2 hours 17 min

WMR writer credits: Soumik Datta