Shontaan Movie Review : Mithun-Ritwik clash in this sentimental drama is worth watching

Raj Chakraborty’s signature style of combining melodrama, action, and tight editing is back with the new family drama Shontaan, where a fed-up father locks horns with his son in the courtroom, accusing him of neglect. The film begins with Saradindu (Mithun Chakraborty) meeting a lawyer (Kharaj Mukherjee) to lodge a case against his neglectful son Indranil (Ritwick Chakraborty), who refuses to take responsibility for his parents. As he starts narrating his tale, a very common story unfolds. The director takes time to build up the story, painting a picture that is quite easy to predict, but thoroughly enjoyable, thanks to an excellent cast.
The story cuts between the past and the present, with causes of conflict and neglect recurring throughout the first half. Although characters are primarily coloured binarily, there are redemptive scopes offered to them throughout the course of the film. The tone is quite moralistic, with a strong system of values being reinforced throughout the course of the film. But this is in tandem with Chakraborty’s treatment of some of his previous films (think Dharmajuddha or Bojhena Shey Bojhena).
Mithun Chakraborty, as the desperate dad Saradindu, delivers a strong performance that proves once again why he can extract the audience’s sympathies with an expert ease so that they would love to hate a devilish Ritwick. Anashua Majumdar as Saradindu’s wife Mala, who feels caught between the crossfires, effortlessly steals scenes from such a talented pair of actors, at times, with just a glare. Subhasree Ganguly is refreshing in the role of a feisty lawyer, and her face-offs in court against Kharaj Mukherjee are quite fun to watch. In a small role, Sohini Sengupta is a gem.
The film draws out quite long and could have been slightly tighter during the second half, but solid moments of emotional drama compensate for that. Music by Jeet Gannguli is kept nice and hummable while the background score and sound enhances the visuals greatly.
Shontaan is a good film with a strong moral standpoint that definitely leaves the audience with a message.