Feluda Pherot: Jawto Kando Kathmandute Review – Powerful Finale or Painful Fall?
Srijit Mukherjee brought Feluda to the web in 2020 with Feluda Pherot. Season 1, Chinnomostar Obhishap, felt like a breath of fresh air with Tota Roy Chowdhury as a convincing Feluda and Anirban Chakrabarty as Jatayu. Viewers even got a sneak peek of Season 2, based on Satyajit Ray’s Jawto Kando Kathmandute, which had already been shot. After nearly five years of delays and setbacks, Season 2 is finally here. But does it deliver a fitting finale for the iconic sleuth? Let’s find out!
To be honest, the recent works of Feluda, both from Mr.Mukherjee and Sandip Ray, felt obnoxious and weren’t made with the dedication it required. But the first season of Addatimes Feluda Pherot was one of my favourites. I was waiting for its release for the last five years, and when its release date was finally announced, I was pretty excited.
Why? Because this story is one of my most favourite and has everything in it to make it the perfect potboiler. But at the same time, due to the recent underwhelming works of the director, I was sceptical at the same time. But thankfully, it delivered as it should have.
What Works?
Performance
We Bengalis are highly possessive about our Feluda. We can’t imagine just anyone playing this iconic character as Soumitra Chatterjee and Sabyasachi Chakraborty have taken the level to such a high level.
But Tota Roy Chowdhury has done his best in every form. He is fit, he knows martial arts, and is handsome as Feluda should be. After Bibhu Bhattacharya, there was a lack of actors who could pull off this iconic role. But finally, with Anirban Chakraborty, we can say that we have the right choice. Especially in a particular scene where he was drugged, he gave a shocking performance.
The character of Maganlal Megraj was written originally by Ray as the shrewd, cunning, and dangerous villain of Feluda, whose menacing voice and looks can make anyone shiver. This character was made legendary by Utpal Dutta with his portrayal. But Kharaj Mukherjee has done his best to pull off this role. His physique looks very similar to the original drawings, along with his menacing facial expressions. In the very final act, he pulled off the performance of a lifetime.
Cinematography
Shot extensively in the real locations of Nepal, the DOP has done a great job. The stories of the three musketeers are not just crime thrillers; they are travelogues. All the stories have amazing descriptions of the locations, and the director has shown and shot them beautifully. A major part of the show feels like a travel vlog and transports you to the real locations.
Modern Day Setup
Feluda is now based in the modern world, and yes, he uses a smartphone. Sadly, there is no more Sidhu Jetha; instead, he uses Google for information. The iconic green ambassador of Lalmohan Babu has also been replaced with a modern vehicle. There is a mention of the use of social media while warning viewers about its addiction.
Music
Satyajit Ray was such a legend that not just did he write or direct Feluda, but he also composed an iconic theme music that still plays inside our heads. Joy Sarkar did a great job by recreating the title track by putting words into the original instrumental. It sounds so fresh and healing to listen. Not just that, the BGM is also very soothing. The makers have given Mukherjee’s Maganlal a good theme music. The blend of the original theme song with Nepalese music is refreshing and works like a charm.
What Doesn’t Work?
Kalpan Mitra as Topshe
When we read the books, the stories are told to us from the point of view of Topshe. This character is written in such a way that every kid will want to be Topshe. But sadly, Kalpan Mitra, despite trying his best, has failed repeatedly to convince us with his performance. We need someone better.
Political Messaging
Srijit Mukherjee has a way of putting in political statements in between his works. He did the same in this one, too, in a subtle way. But honestly, I don’t think it was required. The original story already has so much firepower that putting in unnecessary plot points can make it bitter.
Pacing
Feluda Pherot Jawto Kando Kathmandute has 6 episodes. But the middle episodes, particularly some parts of episodes 4 and 5, feel dragged. I can’t completely blame the makers for this, as this was shot around six years back. Our viewing experience has evolved, and our attention span has gone down in all these years, but they could have done better editing with this.
Some Requests
Satyajit Ray created this iconic character and wrote all these stories back in the 60s and 70s. In the past decade, Feluda has become a cash cow for Bengali filmmakers, and it feels like done to death. With so many thrillers and mysteries coming out every week on the web platforms, these stories are now failing to give us the goosebumps that we expect from them.
We also have audio stories available on the internet, which, despite having no visuals, can give us a soothing experience. So, my request to all the filmmakers would be to stop making Feluda films or series for a while, or rehash these stories to make them suitable for the modern teenagers who are more interested in anime.
Final Words
Srijit Mukherjee’s final Feluda web series works as the fitting finale that this character needed. It’s his best work in the recent past and also the most well-made. If you are a fan of Asia’s Best Crime Detective, then you must give this a watch. You can stream Feluda Pherot Jawto Kando Kathmandute on AddaTimes.
Rating:
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Avik
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