Chengiz Film Review
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Chengiz Film Review
Jeet’s latest onscreen outing Chengiz is an action-packed masala movie, with a lot of fireworks and swag. It is quite watchable but would have been much more appealing had it been slashed by an hour or so with fewer baddies, lesser guns and even lesser (or no) songs.
Young Jaidev played by Ayush das and finally Jeet, watches his father and mother getting killed by a mobster right in front of his eyes. His father’s subordinate Samir Sinha (Rohit Roy) adopts him but he steps into the world of crime at the age of 16, when he starts working for a powerful gangster named Omar played by Shataf Figar. He grows up to be his best henchman but eventually the fire of revenge drives him to become the most feared ganglord in Kolkata – Chengiz. He takes control of the betting and heroin market across Bengal, Bihar and Orissa and a team of police officers, including Samir Sinha, starts chasing his empire.
In Chengiz, Jeet plays to his strengths and doesn’t stray too far from his familiar zone. However, he brings enormous swag to the film and his style of walking, talking and fighting are quite enjoyable. The transformation and conflicts within his character should have bee penned with little more care. Nevertheless, he puts his best foot forward to make Chengiz as believable with his charisma, as possible. Shataf Figar is excellent as the ruthless Omar and has quite the emotional range. Susmita Chakroborty really has very little to do in the film. Rohit Roy’s character specifically, could use more substance, considering he is the narrator. Avrajit Chakrobort, plaing Ipsahani, has done a pretty good job.
The film Chengiz follows a drug lord’s journey from the seventies to the nineties, but it offers very few details and visual cues that would connect the storyline to those decades. The vintage cars, a retro racecourse and some garish costumes are not enough to showcase 90’s Kolkata. The film lacks a convincing presentation from the very beginning
However, as a pan-India release, Chengiz deserves special mention. It is quite stately in production value and treatment. The action sequences choreographed by Stunt Silva are slick, well-timed and edited quite effortlessly, thanks to Jeet excelling in mano-a-mano combat scenes. All in all, it is a welcome relief to those who want a beak from the overdose of thrillers and family dramas that are dominating the screen in the Bengali film Industry.