With Shontaan, Raj Chakrabarty delivers what he’s good at — a family drama that stays with you even after you have left the hall. Shontaan takes the well-worn premise of a parent suing their child over charges of neglect but packs in all the right emotions to tug at the heartstrings.
Saradindu, an aging father played by Mithun Chakraborty, is fed up with his son Indranil’s (Ritwick Chakraborty) neglect of him and his ailing wife Mala (Anashua Majumdar). So, what does he do? He drags his son to court. But his case is not just about hurt feelings or monetary compensation — it’s about accountability and dignity.
The story unfolds through a mix of courtroom drama and flashbacks as Saradindu lays out his grievances. Raj builds the tension while peppering the plot with a surprise now and then. And the arguments between father and son, both in court and in person, hit close to home.
Mithun Chakraborty makes this elderly man who’s tired and battered by the indignities of life an Everyman. No flashy dialogue or dramatic gestures. His every glance, every wince, every sigh carries the weight of Saradindu’s pain.
Ritwick Chakraborty is as compelling as an ambitious, self-centred man for whom parental care is a nightmare. His Indranil is someone you’d love to hate; imagine Aman Verma and Samir Soni’s characters from Baghban, and double their apathy to their old folks.
Anashua Majumdar quietly steals a few scenes from both Mithun and Ritwick as Saradindu’s wife who is caught between her aggrieved husband and her indifferent son. There’s a moment towards the climax when she defiantly declares, ‘My husband is not for sale’, and the entire theatre erupted in applause. It’s a goosebumps moment, and all thanks to Anashua’s sense of restraint.
Subhasree Ganguly comes in as Indrani, a feisty lawyer defending Indranil, whose courtroom face-offs with Saradindu’s lawyer, played by Kharaj Mukherjee in his usual comedic flair, make for some of the film’s lighter moments. And even in a small role as Mala’s domestic help, Sohini Sengupta makes a mark.
With a runtime of 150 minutes, the first half of Shontaan drags in places, especially the scenes that tip over to melodrama. The climax feels rushed, with Indranil’s change of heart coming as too sudden. And the preachy tone might not work for everyone as there are moments when the film seems to hammer home its message of duty over personal gains.
