What happens when a certain bohemian Amit (Jisshu) returns to Kolkata after a corporate stint in Mumbai only to come face to face with his childhood friend Labanya (Koel) whom he avoided all these years?
One of the most well-made Bengali rom-coms in recent times, Ghare & Baire has no resemblance to Tagore�s classic Noshtoneer that was later adapted by Ray for Charulata, the film. It�s a romantic comedy without over-the-top comic situations. The film manages to be quite fascinating, proving to be commercially viable cinema with good content that appeals to the �self-proclaimed thinking man� and draws Kolkata�s non-Bengali communities to a packed south Kolkata multiplex on the opening weekend.
Whether riding on the success of his last film or because of a fit to the T cast, director Mainak Bhaumik is able to create the right kind of buzz before the film�s release. But once the film starts, it�s nostalgia for the 90s kids, it�s every mother�s strife to make her daughter see sense, it�s parar friendship-turned-lifelong promises, it�s the memories of your first brush with bangla band music, it�s Amit and Labanya�s timeless love fraught with fights and a lot more such heart-tugging reminiscences.
Two entertaining hours that take you down memory lane, rekindle the passions of a �bohemian bangali� in you, helps you reflect upon your undesirous corporate identity and makes you fall badly in love with Kolkata like you do even after an initial heartbreak. And what lends character to such a story are the lead pair of Koel and Jisshu, their friends Aparajita and Biswanath, their parents � some of the well-known faces of Bengali TV today, and a special mention of Sam (Joy) � the quintessential NRI, Mr Goody-Two-Shoes and of course, too good to be true. But what the script masters is the projection of Joy as the really genuine guy. He�s not the hero but neither does he bring out the NRI-bashing sentiment in you. He is as much a �bhodrolok� as your regular Bengali friend, even if separated by boundaries. Joy is a joy to watch.
Jisshu lives up to his recent history of good performances. He is Amit � breathes bangla music, undecided about life and settling down, runs a corporate show in Mumbai for money to fulfil his dreams but no one can take Kolkata out of him. Koel plays a tomboy, as much as a young and beautiful Bengali girl can be, casual yet appealing in sight. She portrays the firebrand bongo nari with zest, waits for her �spineless� friend to propose and marries for love. She effortlessly changes persona during her interactions with Jisshu and Joy, never overdoing it. As the story unfolds, Mainak manages to touch upon the north Kolkata-south Kolkata divide beautifully and without offending sentiments.
There are no hilarious scenes but not forced comedy as well. Even with the introductions of characters like the two detectives in the film. Whatever you get, you savour it because it appeals to you in a subtle and feel-good manner. The music is good, the songs shot well. This one is a good family watch.
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