Lakadbaggha Movie Review: Anshuman Jha and Riddhi Dogra’s Sincerity Is The Only Saving Grace Of This Juvenile Attempt! (LatestLY Exclusive!)
Director Victor Mukherjee's Lakadbaggha revolves around an animal loving vigilante who unearths the fact that an underground illegal animal trade cell functions from Kolkata port. On investigating he chances upon a rare species of the Indian Striped Hyena (Lakadbaggha).
Lakadbaggha Movie Review: Lakadbaggha, director Victor Mukherjee's film's title means Hyena. So, in order to live up to the title, the makers ensure that you get one. And that, perhaps, is the only believable element in this film. The digitally created wild creature is the solitary creation the makers seemed to have invested in. The rest, politely put, looks like an amateur attempt to create a film that looks like a project made by a bunch of college-going kids who are just grappling with the basics of filmmaking. The long and abrupt shots, the weird cuts, the superficial dialogues, the poor direction, and the awkward performances make this one a terrible bore. Anshuman Jha and Riddhi Dogra’s sincerity shines through. But that apart, nothing keeps you invested or entertained through this dreary drill. The Married Woman Review: Riddhi Dogra and Monica Dogra's Same-sex Love Story Transcends Biology and Boundaries!
The film opens on a promising note as we witness Arjun, an unassuming lanky chap, breaks bones as he confronts an unavoidable fight with hooligans. The opening sequence is sleek, the action is easy on the eye and the editing seems sharp, sadly after this impressive scene, the film then nosedives into a glorious mess scene by scene, sequence after sequence. The animal vigilante Arjun is on a mission of sorts. His identity is hidden under his hoodie (hoodie-baba, yes we get the pun!).
Arjun’s “dog-friend” Shanku goes missing and in his search, he finds out dirty truths about illegal animal trading. Amid all this, he comes face to face with an actual Lakadbaggha. Arjun's life is now sandwiched between his role as an avid animal lover-turned-vigilante-turned-hyena-rescuer and a man who must save his friends from the evil grips of the mafia.
Watch the Trailer of Lakadbaggha:
Riddhi Dogra steps in as the cop who is chasing this unmasked vigilante of the city and the actress delivers good here. Milind Soman as the mentor of the protagonist looks intense (and his usual handsome self) and does a decent job of it. The first half of the film is boring and the second half gets bizarre with its screenplay. You could foretell the story and the director doesn't give you anything substantial to get hooked to. And that makes Lakadbaggha a boring and tedious watch to say the least. While writer Alok Sharma presents a hatke story, the makers don't quite give us a cinematic experience to talk about. TVF Pitchers Season 2 Review: Naveen Kasturia, Riddhi Dogra's Series is Well-Narrated and Acted But Doesn't Reach Heights of the First Season! (LatestLY Exclusive)
As for the performances, Riddhi Dogra never fails to impress with the limited material she has at the hands of an inexperienced director. Anshuman Jha’s sincerity also shines through. Paresh Pahuja as the antagonist looks stylish but fails to leave a mark as he gets caught in the usual filmy tropes and a conscious attempt to pose as a stylish baddie.
Final Thoughts
If Hyena and drama are all you seek, then I would recommend you revisit The Lion King rather than suffer the juvenile attempt that Lakadbaggha is!
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 13, 2023 10:12 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).