Arindam Sil is no stranger to the genre of suspense thrillers. He has made his mark by adapting fictional detectives for the screen, from Byomkesh Bakshi to Shabor Dasgupta, and even Feluda (for the OTT audience). Jongole Mitin Mashi — featuring Suchitra Bhattacharya's female private investigator Pragyaparamita Mukherjee aka Mitin Mashi — is a delightful addition to this world.
Jongole Mitin Mashi, based on Suchitra Bhattacharya’s novel Saranday Shaitan, is the second film in the Mitin Mashi franchise. Mitin is now an established detective who runs an investigative agency called Third Eye. A forest officer from Saranda, Jharkhand, shows up one day and asks for Mitin’s help in nabbing a gang involved in poaching in his jurisdiction. The gruesome murder of the officer, soon after the meeting, prompts Mitin to visit Saranda, and her family tags along.
As Mitin gets busy understanding the modus operandi of this gang of poachers, she also receives several threat letters, urging her to leave Saranda immediately. The arrival of a mysterious godman, Madhu Baba (Barun Chakraborty), in a nearby village also arouses her suspicion. In the middle of the investigations, another elephant is killed.
While it delivers a social message on the need to protect nature and wildlife, Jongole Mitin Mashi does not come with the high-intensity suspense associated with detective stories. But Sil manages to stay true to the spirit of the story with only a few deviations from the novel.
In the book, Mitin and her family are on a vacation when they get entangled in the smuggling racket. In Jongole Mitin Mashi, her assistance is formally requested. The subplot involving the murder of the forest officer is also an addition. These changes do enhance the overall storytelling.
Where the film takes liberties is in Mitin’s characterisation. Following the trend of turning brainy sleuths into semi-action heroes, we see Mitin Mashi taking on a bunch of attackers unarmed and sending them flying into the air, showing off her karate skills.
Koel Mallick is more mature in her second outing as Mitin. She imbues the character with a fierce independence, courage and grace, along with the kind of sharp eye and mind that are the hallmark of great detectives.
The supporting cast steps up to the game. Subhrajit Dutta complements Koel’s performance as Mitin’s husband, and together they look like a happy couple. Riya Banik, in the role of Mitin’s niece, Tupur, is effective as a young adult excited about assisting her aunt.
