CAST: ABHISHEK BACHCHAN, CHITRANGDA SINGH, PARAN BANDHOPADHAYA, TINA DESAI
DIRECTOR: DIYA ANNAPURNA GHOSH
BLUF:
Bob Biswas is based on the epochal character from the movie Kahaani played by renowned Bengali actor Saswata Chatterjee who made a huge impact on its audiences in the eight minutes of screentime that he was given in the earlier movie. Abhishek Bachchan plays the most pivotal role of his career telling the origin story of an emotionless serial killer whose one line- Nomoshkar, Ek Minute is designed to send cold shivers down the spines of his victims.
The movie follows two story threads – one of the Blue pill- is a drug used by students for micro-dosing having highly addictive effects on them.
The other one of Bob, who after eight years of coma and memory loss now returns to his wife and kids with no memory of who he earlier was, only to be chased by demons from his past life- known and unknown. How these two storylines converge makes the premise of this movie.
THE MEAT AND THE POTATOES
Bob’s return to post coma life with his wife Mary and two kids seems to be the challenge of his existence as he does not remember any of what was before.
However, he follows bread crumbs to fall back into the pattern of his older life by shooting people in their heads when they did not follow his rules.
The story becomes interesting when his conscience does not seem to justify the actions that made him the cold-blooded killer.
In the other thread, the blue pills business affects his stepdaughter and that brings the killer in him to the fore.
IN THE KNOW
It is the actors that hold the movie together. We have said very often how Abhishek Bachchan is perhaps the most underrated actor of his times. He comes through in his role as Bob. Originally, Abhishek Bachchan’s Bob Biswas looks bewildered and confined, almost compelling you to think that perhaps he might not have been the ideal pick for the role. However, as the plot unfolds you realize how the actor had actually walked himself into the skin of the character to deliver that unnerved sketch so he could ultimately step into the shoes of being a cold-blooded killer later on.
Chitrangada Singh’s Mary is a significant character rather than a symbolic one
The storyline of Bob Biswas looks encouraging at the start but, half an hour into the film you realize that all the thrill gets overshadowed in the slow pace of the thriller.
It is when Tina Desai’s Indira really walks into the frame that the story picks tempo.
Paran Bandopadhyay as Kali Da is however the show-stealer.
His “honor amongst thieves” style is so warm and genuine that you feel the chemistry between him and Abhishek’s Bob through the washed-out cinematographic frames of dingy Calcutta. Another highlight of the movie- lighting, and cinematography – expertly creating the story of Bob through color and shadows.
Bob Biswas truly had the potential of a superior film, if the storytelling had been more cohesive.
The stringing together of Bob’s memory loss somehow makes the story
The actors really hold this narrative together for long enough Abhishek Bachchan’s performance proves that he has the screen presence for doing so much more than what is offered to him. The actor who aced Manmarziyaan seems to be hidden from sight and comes out when the script demands.
WHAT WE LOVED
Cinematography
Bg Score
WHAT WE MISSED
Cohesive Story.
