ROSHOGOLLA  –  a film review


If  “Tobacco causes cancer … (then) Rosogolla causes happiness”. This statutory warning at the beginning of the movie spells it all out about what you are about to experience on the screen.

A biopic of sorts, Rosogolla is the history of making those round, spongy balls filled with syrup that Bengalis love to eat and are proud to call their own.
It is basically the story of a twenty-year old Nobin Chandra Das (Ujaan Ganguly),  a poor relation in a family that ill-treats him and his widowed mother. Nobin is no smart guy who makes it big with ease when they are thrown out of the family. A simpleton and a dreamer, he turns the world upside down with tenacious efforts to make a sweet that will make his lady love happy. But he fails miserably, no matter how hard he tries, till he learns the trick from a Sahib.

The story-line, both inspirational and emotional, is touching and perhaps restores Bengal’s pride in contributing ‘roshogolla’ to the world to put an end to the long-standing debate on its origin.

As for the cast, we have an ensemble of talented artistes like Bidipta Chakraborty  as Nobin’s mother, Aparajita Adhya as the good-hearted Zamindar ‘ginni’, Kharaj Mukherjee as Nobin’s assistant, and Rajatabha Roy as Nobin’s rival who make their presence felt with every nuance and gesture. However, Abantika Biswas, the feisty young Khirode, wife of Nobin, is a new find who adds much spice to this otherwise ‘sweet’ movie. The script is easy-flowing and poetic in places that blends in well with the mesmerizing visuals.

Music by Kalika Prasad Bhattacharya remains haunting and is appropriately woven into the tale. But the best part is director Pavel’s treatment of the movie that deserves credit for recreating the atmosphere of old Bengal in its colonial splendour with pomp and grandeur mingled with simplicity. The ambiance of 19th century Kolkata was indeed also a visual treat.

But above all, a Windows production, where Shiboprosad Mukherjee and Nadita Roy have once again given us a film after Posto that can touch all, Rosogolla is actually a 'salt-n-sweet' saga of love and respect, of humility but pride in an invention that is here to stay. 
It is a film that is a wonderful treat for the whole family.

Dola Dutta Roy  ©
15th Jan, 2019

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