Baba, Baby O… is not just a fun film or a romcom. That’s what struck me first as I sat down to watch it. The film is a subtle story of relationships that highlights contemporary times — a combination of very practical happenings and some unprecedented events that may even come across as absurd to many. Fact is, it is real.
At the heart of the story are Megh Roddur and Bristi, who form a magical combination and they offer us more than what we usually think of. For Megh Roddur and Bristi life is not a cliche, they both live on their own terms. And like it happens in love stories, they try to elevate themselves to a level where their individual energies flowing from different directions get coagulated into one and that’s when a blizzard of emotions take over.
Interestingly, BBO is not only a tale of a single father. The film showcases a plethora of emotions surrounding fathers of different kinds, who are not just ‘single’... who are fathers from the core of their hearts, like Bristi’s Parsi father. We usually bask in motherhood tales and discuss their stories of commitment and sacrifice, which, in most cases, are true and worthy.
But here, director Aritra Mukherjee has touched a sensitive nerve, highlighting the efforts of a father. BBO offers an extreme emotional curve from the very beginning, be it in a confusing conversation between a father and son or between two friends over an indoor game or a little outburst at the toy shop, which introduces the female lead.
I believe Aritra, as a director who is only two films old, wanted to keep the tension alive from the beginning of the film. As the narrative moves ahead, we see many progressive minds at play — be it Bristi’s mother or Megh’s parents!
Gourab
Everyone fits smoothly into the narrative and takes it forward. The makers have delved into the subject of surrogacy, which has brought a lot of hope to those who have not managed to find a life partner but want children nonetheless and also to couples who have medical issues.
At the end of the day, youths are now apprehensive about their relationship status and this film will encourage them to think differently. I remember acting in a film called Life Express, in which Divya Dutta played a surrogate mother for my child. The film was deeply emotional and so is BBO.
It is deep, moving and extremely emotional. The crux of the film is about a man wanting to be a single father after a jilted relationship. His parents approve of his decision but have their own set of doubts. The story is full of surprises and takes an interesting path of relationships. I will not give out the entire story since I want everyone to go and watch the film sitting in a theatre and get straight into that household where two kids are growing up, wrapped in the love of their grandparents and warmth of their father; a household, I felt, waiting for a woman to soak up its warmth and beauties and make it a home.
There are many equations at play — that of the parents with their son and their son with the girl whom he loves but unable to express his feelings as she is considerably younger to him.
In fact, he tries frantically to make a little space in her heart; he is a single father of twins and knows the girl of his dreams doesn’t like to be associated with kids, though from the script and director’s side we needed a better clarification here.
BBO tells a clear and distinct story of friendship, fatherhood, love and relationships. It’s not amorphous except in a few places, where Bristi and Megh needed to have a better moment of conversation. The early morning scene on the terrace left a lasting impression on me.
Then there’s another one when Bristi comes back home to cook Patrani Macchhi, sharing a moment with her mother that clears the air between them. That is a scene to remember. The scene between the two friends in the room when Megh’s father enters with an ambiguous smile makes us laugh our hearts out. There are more moments to remember from this film.
Rituparna
Now coming to performances, everyone performed with elan and grit. Rajat Ganguly and Reshmi Sen as Megh’s parents are two people to watch out for in this film, only Reshmi looked a bit too young as Megh’s mother, who is above 40 in this film. Jisshu Sengupta as a 40-plus single father looks so apt in his character. Jisshu performs with responsibility and tremendous effort to get a very nuanced Megh in place, his demeanour is perfect as he gets his act right throughout, but here again, the director could have made him perform better since I know his acting prowess!
In a few scenes Solanki is impressive and looks pretty in a sari with her hair tousled in a bun! As a debutante she justifies her role. Mainak Banerjee, as Megh’s friend, does a good job and the small but impactful screen presence of Gourab Chatterjee ups the interest quotient by a few notches. All other supporting performances are apt too. A special mention must be made of Bidipta for an impeccable performance, measured acting with a whole new modern approach to the character!
Over all, BBO leaves a lasting impression on our minds and the songs actually pep the movie up. I was remembering Baby’s Day Out a bit in some scenes and also a Chinese movie I saw few years back called Sho Sho....
The dialogues by Samragnee Bandopadhyay are quite insightful but some expressions could still have been better, especially at the end! The end got a bit stretched and the dialogues looked a bit prolonged to me, instead it could have been crisp and more creative, but the impressive subtle romance persists throughout and an indulging musical element enthrals us as we embark on the journey of BBO.
Chamok Hasan and Amit-Ishan give you fresh music except for some high-strung BGM at places. All the songs in BBO will stay on the lips for long. Subhankar Bhar’s cinematography looks smart and satisfying, while Moloy Laha’s editing is getting better by the day! By the end, BBO casts a spell on you! Well done Aritra! You make us proud....