Fatafati Film Review
- ★
- ★
- ★
- ★
- ★
Fatafati Film Review
Cinema’s role is to entertain. And what if it also informs and educates in equal measure as much as it amuses viewers? The result is bound to be Fatafati. And it is!
Fatafati, directed by Aritra Mukherjee and produced by the famous director jodi Nandita Roy and Shiboprosad Mukherjee, is about a certain Phullora Bhaduri from the suburbs, who is as uncomfortable with her body as are those around her. Abuses, often garbed as ‘good advices’, are hurled at her like ghee to the havan. And it does incite the fire within her, makes her take confident strides, even though not in the exact direction that she had planned for herself.
Even if Phullora had wanted to be a fashion designer, lack of opportunity in Dhulishohor and presence of a separate skillset like writing on fashion make her an influencer on the Gram. But things take a different turn when she doesn’t get any of her healthy-and-happy friends to pucker up and pose for her. Fatafati is not just a solo woman’s fight against odds but is about a quartet of women, who are faced with challenges on the home front and outside. It is a ‘feel-good and filmi’ protest against unrealistic beauty standards created by this society. So, what if Phullora is surrounded by the most supportive husband who is too good to be true, a mother-in-law, who loves and admonishes her at one go, a brother-in-law, who is her confidante, and a set of friends who are her soulmates? The film is a protest nonetheless. It not just tells you that you can be both fat and happy at the same time, but also helps you explore the life of a plus-size fashion influencer for the first time in a Bengali film. Also, the film has a climax, which on a par with any national film in terms of both grandeur and pace.
Ritabhari Chakraborty, who reportedly piled on several kilos after her surgeries, has not only internalised Phullora Bhaduri, she has made the character her own. From her self-doubts to treading the path of glory, she is convincing in every scene. Abir Chatterjee as Bachospati Bhaduri, Phullora’s husband, seems to have matured like fine wine over the years. Even though loud in parts, Swastika Dutta as Phullora’s nemesis and challenger, provides a lot of entertainment all through her screen time. A special mention must be made of Raktim Samanta as Gogol, Sanghasri Sinha Mitra as Aruna, Deboshree Ganguly as Seema and Arijit Mukhopadhyay as Rinku. All of them are believable as they battle chaos at home and within themselves to move ahead in the journey of life. But the one actor, who stole the show with her humour and pathos is Soma Banerjee as the quintessential Bengali sasuri, both loving and hateful, mouthing some vicious lines but having a change of heart when life permits her so.
A well-rounded script by Zinia Sen and some memorable dialogues by Samragnee Bandopadhyay tug at the heartstrings, just like some soulful music by Amit Chatterjee, Chamok Hasan and Anindya Chattopadhyay that make you believe in love. As you laugh and cry with Phullora, feel her pain and share her little joys, you come out of the theatres more prepared to face the world. If you have known a Phullora in your life, there is a ‘fat’ chance that you will race ahead in life despite cruel eyes judging you all the time.