Bodhon, the act of awakening goddess Durga, is the title of the latest Hoichoi web series where a young woman fights for justice despite several odds after she’s gang-raped in a moving car and left on the road.
Over eight episodes, director Aditi Roy tries to trace the aftermath of the incident, the struggle on the part of the survivor and the people close to her, and the arduous battle of bringing the culprits to book.
Parts of the plot are familiar and there’s a build-up of the suspense in the beginning.
Professor Raka Sen (played by Sandipta Sen) notices a girl in a car with some boys. The latter’s discomfort is palpable. But before Raka can do anything, the signal turns red and the car disappears in the traffic. Later, Raka learns that the girl she saw that day is Shinjini, the same student from her college who has been raped.
Shinjini (played by Ditipriya Roy) is the daughter of a single, divorced mother who decides not to take up the matter with the police, fearing social stigma. But egged on by Raka, Shinjini begins a battle to punish her assaulters and return to normal life.
The girl’s scarred face after the assault, her mother’s pain, discomfort and shame, and Raka’s stubbornness to carry on with the fight produce a fertile ground for the director to strike gold. But Roy falls back on stereotypes to tell the story. There’s the corrupt police officer, the rich and influential family of the three rapists, the defendants’ lawyer and Shinjini’s meek boyfriend — all characters that are hastily etched.
The screenplay borders on extreme melodrama and the episodes lack a cliffhanger ending. With things moving at such a pace, the twist in the end — the death of a key character — fails to make an impact.
The saving grace is Sandipta Sen’s performance as Raka Sen, who looks natural in her role as Shinjini’s support system. Chandreyee Ghosh makes a mark as Shinjini’s lawyer, delivering her punches on cue, despite weak dialogues. However, Ditipriya Roy tries hard to fit into the shoes of Shinjini. This role needed more sensitivity and mature handling.
