The trailer of Shontaan, the upcoming film directed by Raj Chakraborty, has generated much curiosity and excitement among Bengali film lovers. Starring Mithun Chakraborty, Anashua Majumdar, Ritwick Chakraborty, Subhashree Ganguly and Sohini Sengupta in pivotal roles, the film is backed by star power and is expected to be a family entertainer with a strong social message.

As apparent from the trailer, Ritwick’s character is the son of a couple played by Mithun Chakraborty and Anashua Majumdar. An ungrateful son, he does not look after his aged parents. He lives separately with his wife, has a good job and maintains a flamboyant lifestyle. When he refuses to take responsibility for his parents when they need him the most, his father decides to take him to court and hires a lawyer (Subhashree) to fight the case.

Blending family saga with courtroom drama, the plot design of Shontaan follows a well-known template. The element of interest in the film will thus depend on Raj Chakraborty’s treatment of an oft-repeated theme that has been handled in a variety of styles by several Indian filmmakers already.

What stands out in the trailer are the impactful performances of its lead actors. Mithun Chakraborty and Anashua Majumdar are, as usual, fantastic with their emotive powers, reining in their performances where necessary. The chemistry shared by the two veteran actors is compelling and convincing without being over-the-top. Ritwick too impresses as the typical callous, selfish son, while Subhashree establishes her powerful presence as a confident, determined lawyer.

The two-and-a-half-minute trailer focuses on the dynamics of the relationship between the son and his parents through their various struggles and ends in a way that suggests that the tables will turn in the end, or may even reveal a twist. From what is evident in the trailer, the fate of this film will ultimately depend on its emotional appeal and how well the courtroom drama unfolds and is successfully able to engage the audience.

With a storyline that resonates with a specific target audience, the trailer indicates that the film is expected to perform well when it hits theatres in December.