Googly review: Srabanti, Soham have speech defect in melodramatic film with a shallow plot

Abhimanyu Mukherjee’s third film Googly follows a similar pattern of his previous film Piya Re, except for the tragic ending. Even if it is possible to bear with the first half of the film, the prolonged melodramatic sequences in the second half don’t have the makings to evoke emotions, rather the desperate attempt to make the audience cry turns out to be futile.

The film has nothing to offer, but a linear predictable storyline. Also, the trailer gave away a lot about the film, leaving little for the audience to anticipate.

The protagonists of the film have a speech defect i.e. they stammer. The hurdles they face in their life are sometimes depicted with humour or placed against the most common issues, such as marriage and bearing a child. It is true that people with a stammer face discrimination in every sphere of life, but Mukherjee’s film somehow gives out the impression that marriage and parenthood are the gravest circumstances in life.

The problem is that the hurdles or the discriminations faced by the characters don’t get importance in the film. Neither do the characters rise above their problems. At the end of the film, the message conveyed by Mukherjee turns out to be — people with similar problems can survive any obstacle if they stand together or perhaps, people with similar disadvantages are destined to be together.

Dali (Srabanti Chatterjee) is ridiculed by her friends and is often left alone in social gatherings because of her speech defect. Her parents are adamant on getting her married. Suitors pay her a visit, only to find out that she stammers and eventually reject her. Dali then decides to not get married but she finds herself trapped again in a matchmaker's plan.

Arjun (Soham Chakraborty) and his family come to see Dali and soon, it is revealed that Arjun also stammers; however, both Dali and Arjun's parents remain in the dark about the speech defect of prospectibe groom and bride. Elated, Dali and Arjun both decide to be friends and their families are also relieved, hoping for a prospective marriage.

However, problems arise as the families come to know about the truth, but they eventually give in. The film is bearable till this point as there are humorous moments in it. Arjun's colleague Durjoy (Kanchan Mullick) adds to the fun elements while giving advice to Arjun at every opportunity.

The problem arises in their happy marital life when the question of having a baby arises. While both the families anticipate a child from Arjun and Dali, the latter fears their children will also stammer and face similar discrimination at every stage of growing up like they did once.

Confrontations take place. The couple separate and unite. But do they eventually give birth to a baby and lead a happy family life?

At every stage of the film it is easy to guess what will happen next. In the film there are ample moments where the director has desperately attempted to make people both laugh and cry, with either superficial dialogues or excessive melodrama.

There is more time spent in the film in convincing the parents for the marriage of two individuals who are already victims of ridicule and discrimination, and overcoming the loss of a child, than exploring the general mindset behind discrimination and an attempt to raise awareness about it. There are no complexities in the circumstances or in the characters to delve into.

Both Srabanti Chatterjee and Soham Chakraborty ace their characters as they perfect the speech defect. Srabanti is feisty when needed and Soham is dramatic in the emotional sequences.

Kanchan Mullick is both funny and sensible as an experienced senior. Aritra Dutta Banik acts more mature than his age for the younger brother of Dali. At times, he appears to be commanding over his parents as well.

Good Bhagat's camerawork in the first half is quite jarring and in the second half it is more stable.

'Kotha Chhilo Koto' by Timir Biswas and Iman Chakraborty is a beautiful romantic composition that complements the moment of budding romance between Dali and Arjun. Savvy Gupta deserves credit for the song more than the background score that infuses even more melodrama in the plot.

Googly is a melodramatic film with a high-pitched story. The film is only a treat for the admirers of Srabanti Chatterjee and Rohan Chakraborty. Only if Mukherjee could set the story and show the discrimination outside the close-knit families, then it would have had more opportunity for relevant complexities and therefore made it more interesting.