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Chander Pahar (2013)
Expectations shattered, just like Shankar when he was dying
The story, the original masterpiece of Bibhutibhushan Bandopadhyay is one of the most iconic thriller/adventure story ever written in Bengali. The story we have all read in our childhood and fantasized ourselves by visualizing ourselves as the protagonist. The essence of the book is upheld by the very popular Radiomirchi enterprise by Mir and others. Have you listened to them? No? Have a go. There are youtube links http://bit.ly/JVZMXf . These are 6 hour of journey taken by you as Shankar and just like the book you feel the story.
Now about the movie. The movie lacked a certain vital component widely known as FEAR. There are frivolous fights with beasts and there are volcanoes but there is nowhere your adrenaline rises. Dev was unfortunately unable to deliver the most salient and emotional moments of the movie. The narrators voice has no change and he just blankly voices the story without ANY emotions. But there are certain factors that were notably well performed. Firstly, Dev has eminently notched up in his performance. The other actors including those playing Alvarez to the Masai tribes to Shankar's mother have added value to the film.
The visual effects were not at all upto the mark and the forests were not all the dark canopy like. But fortunately the director should be applauded for not interrupting the story by frills like songs. Do NOT compare the story with the original one because just like me you would feel betrayed. The story in the movie lacked the beauty and often we see there are big loopholes in the scenes from one another. The animals could be easily identified as photoshoped.
SPOILER NEXT
Ah well. Now elaborating, the movie begin with a boy who knocks off his competitor with just one punch in a Boxing match. He gets a job and reaches Africa with some job unsaid in the story(maybe I didn't hear). He gets a new job as a stationmaster in Uganda Railways. The next night he confronts a dangerous lion and manages to flee like Usain Bolt even after hurting his leg. Later at some night a toothless Black Mumba(most deadly snake in Africa) bites his hand and just flies away. The most baffling thing is that the torchlight had not been illuminating the body of the snake. Anyway, moving on he finds dying Diego Alvarez and nearly just like the book helps him recover. After getting back to his health, he narrates his story about his escapade with Jim Carter in search of hidden treasures. Jim dies at the hand of Bunyip and despaired and frightened Alvarez retreats to civilization.
Later Shankar and Jim sets afoot on the journey to Richtersveld. The journey is quite similar as of the book and thus I am not commenting on this. Henceforth their daring journey in the uneven terrains. One lazy day volcano hits them and this scene was the one of the most disappointing. It took them about 5 or more minutes of Brownian movement at the tie of mortal peril to be informed of some danger approaching and that they have to run away. The eruption ends dramatically very soon. They have lost one tent because of the calamity. They recover from the loss and the scene now changes as the heroic arrival of the villain "Bunyip". Diego dies as a result of this villain. The villain flees.
Shankar now resolves to return back alone. His plight has been shown in a very humorous manner. He finds a cave and enters due to some inexplicable reason. He gets lost there and finally emerges out of there somehow. Now the best scene. Shankar plans a revenge for his companions death. He manages to kill Bunyip somehow. Yes our villain dies. So sad. He reaches Kalahari desert and finds water in the midst of the desert(it wasn't an oasis). Shankar survives and manages to climb a very high mountain. He looses all hope and gets ready to die when one day accidentally he fires his gun. He hears two more shots from the gun and with such an incapacitated body runs all the way from the elevation of hill to its foothills and finds civilization. He wakes up later in a hotel bed and thus the story ends.
Open Questions (1) Why did Shankar used to share his tent with Alvarez when the possessed two?
(2) After the accidental gunshots we hear two gunshots. Then again we hear another one from Shankar. When it had been distinctly mentioned of hearing two gunshots and Shankar having only one bullet, how come we hear another one? (Maybe I have been mistaken but this is what seemed to me)
(3) How can we explain no scars on Shankar after he recovers?