For a change ,I decided to watch & write the review of a bengali film rather than a Bollywood film.
It’s definitely not because I am currenty in Kolkata,its because the bad reviews & the bad word of mouth publicity of Salman Khan’s Tubelight didn’t quite encouraged me to watch it.
Anyway, I am not gonna say that ‘Chaamp’ is a perfect film..but watching a Bengali film after a long time,that too with my parents meant a lot to me.
So this EID, Our very own super star DEV took precedence over Sallu bhai.
If ever a recent commercial bengali film project had some high-horsepower sponsorship, it’s “Chaamp.”
Dev stars in his own written story about a local amateur boxer who gets a chance to fight a heavyweight championship bout.
Raj Chakravorty’s latest flick plays on every human’s ultimate fantasy to conquer against all odds and take home the trophy. Here the trophy stands as a metaphor for the realisation of one’s most precious dreams. And that is precisely what makes Chaamp a universal subject to identify with and feel for.
Also Boxing is the basic premise of the story. Expectedly, there is a whole lot of dishoom – dishoom going on all through the movie. true action film buffs might feel the rush of adrenalin on witnessing the tackily executed boxing scenes.
Some genuinely strong emotional impact emerges from the heavy environment of the boxing ring and gymnasium sweat provided by director Raj Chakraborty.
The PR juggernaut is already at high speed, the Kolkata public might love this film.
‘Chaamp’ does fit into the category of a cliched sports drama about an under dog ‘those that seek to uplift through a rags-to-riches story’,but the very best way to enjoy Chaamp” is not to examine it too carefully; better simply to relax and let the film roll in front of you.
Synopsis :
A small town amateur boxer ‘Sivaji Sanyal’ from Purulia gets a surprise shot at fighting for the heavyweight championship.While at the same time he finds love in the arms of an extrovert girl ‘Jaya’ who is a daughter of a rich industralist.
After a successful run,all the adulation makes ‘Sivaji’ feel over-confident about his game.
In one such match ‘Sivaji’ makes a faulty move resulting in a major accident. This accident leads to a major set back in his career and it leaves him jobless, homeless and bankrupt. He gets sacked by his Sponsors and faces severe financial crunch to pay back his installments and loan payments. The banks auction everything including his house and furniture and the family will be just left with nothing.
The rest of the story is all about how Sivaji and Jaya get back on to the track and how Sivaji emerges as a winner.
Though the story of the film is very commercial and formulaic, the sentimental turn in Raj’s film is heartfelt. But what is particularly appealing is that none of the characters crib or mope around. Instead, they tackle every problem with resilience and boldly.
The part where ‘Sivaji’ loses everything and struggles with the family is borrowed from Cinderella Man (Russel Crowe)
Technical :
Thanks to the talented DOP Soumik Haldar,coz every frame of the film oozes Kolkata, from the environs around Sivaji’s practice arena to the city roads.
Kolkata hasn’t changed much in the past 10 years; there’s still a strange, almost eerie sense of recognition of landmarks and familiar sights more than a decade later.
Since Yuva, Kolkata has received its share of screen exposure (most recently in Meri Pyaari Bindu), but the city will always be best known to movie buffs as the home of Mr Satyajit Ray.
Even today, the Howrah Bridge is one of Kolkata’s top tourist attractions, and many of the visitors aren’t interested in going on it . They’re there to stand and capture it from a distance.
What makes ‘Chaamp’ a special film is that it concentrates on characters, not sports. It would be disingenuous to say that the climactic boxing match is unimportant – it is, after all the movie’s centerpiece – but that’s not all the movie is about. There are only two or 3 major fights – one at the beginning and one at the end. In between, every screen moment is used to develop Sivaji as a person.
He is not traditional invincible hero material here – he’s real,polite and has limited aspirations. Nevertheless, there’s something likable about the guy, and it has its root in the gentle, caring way he treats Jaya and respects his Boss and Mother.
Though the film seem to have few long, slow and dragged moments in the second half, the director made sure that the climax is emotional and effective so that the audience walks out with a happy feeling.
Raj Chakravarthy films always have great music and this film too is no exception. The title track song by Raftaar is quite good. The choreography of all the boxing matches are of Hollywood standards.
The Production values by Dev Entertainment Ventures are grand.
Performances :
Dev is amazing in the role of Sivaji. He plays with utmost conviction and honesty in this film.
Debutant Rukmini Maitra is sweet and very spontaneous. I am in love with her dimples.
Veteran actor Chiranjeet Chakraborty is excellent as the boxing coach. The talented Priyanka Sarkar was very refreshing.
Verdict :
Chaamp is not a flawless motion picture, but it is a feel-good film, and well worth another look.Then again, there’s lot more beneath. It talks about taking responsibility for one’s own problems instead of finding an easy way out.
WORTH A WATCH ( Only running in Kolkata, I guess)
deepbasu'smind 