Homecoming Movie Review: Bittersweet Tale Of Nostalgia Amidst The Beauty Of Kolkata Theatre

A dialogue from SonyLIV's Homecoming says 'If you are bigger than your purpose, it's a career but if your purpose is bigger than you, then it's a calling.' This is what forms the main crux of the film. When a separated theatre group named Aamra (We) reunites in Kolkata and goes down the memory lane thinking about their passion for theatre and art, trying to reignite the same enthusiasm and spirit within them of the days gone by.

What's Yay: Cinematography, music and art direction

What's Nay: Some performances look forced and the plotline becomes one-tone.

Story

The theatre group Aamra which was once upon a time a rage in Kolkata, separates due to some fateful circumstances. However, the members of the group have a reunion which reignites all the bittersweet memories. From reminiscing about their earlier theatre days to self introspecting their current phase of life, this journey is what the main plotline of Homecoming revolves around.

Direction

Soumyajit Majumdar who has written and directed the film brings about the tint of nostalgia and self-introspection beautifully in Homecoming. As the movie moves forward, the inner turmoil and the sense of being trapped by the characters come into the forefront. Be it broken friendships or estranged relationships, and most importantly the overwhelming feeling towards their disintegrated theatre group, the writing sets down the tone of Homecoming skillfully.

However, where the film falters is that some of the plotlines look extremely one-tone and monotonous. The characters reliving their dark phases or having overly heated and intellectual debates over the theatre and art sphere in Kolkata seems to be repetitive. Some of the characterization of the guests at the reunion to be talking animatedly or aggressively with a drink or a cigarette in their hands just comes across as a stereotypical portrayal of the creative and radical Bengali community. There could have been some variations in the plot and the screenplay to avoid these flat moments.

Performances

Sayani Gupta as Sri and Plabita Borthakur as Nargis shine in their respective parts. Borthakur particularly is a treat to watch in her poetry sequence. Soham Majumdar as Godot showcases an intense act. However, Hussain Dalal as Imroze and Tushar Panday as Shubho despite trying to give an honest act, falter in some scenes. The other supporting cast members do justice to their respective parts.

Technical Aspects

The cinematography by Anup Singh captures the artistic beauty of Kolkata at its best along with the intensity and humdrum of the theatrical sphere in the City Of Joy. The art direction by Nafisa Mondal is again a major plus point of Homecoming. The music by Mou Sultana, Satyaki Banerjee, Dev Arijit, Neil Mukherjee and Hybrid Protokol win big in this one.

Verdict

Watch Homecoming to experience that relatable sense of nostalgia and cherished memories of the days gone by. This will be a huge hit amongst the die-hard creatives and romantics in Kolkata. We give Homecoming 3 out of 5 stars.