Movie Review of Jadu Kadai, a ZEE5 Bengali Original

We all get fascinated by tales of magic and wonder. Therefore, when I saw the trailer of Jadu Kadai (magical wok) on ZEE5, I was tempted to watch it right away. Jadu Kadai is a Comedy drama starring popular Bengali actors such as Rahul, Sayani Dutta, Joydip Kundu, and Dipanwita Nath in the lead roles. The 132 minutes long movie has a fresh and refreshing concept.

Plot and Characters

Jadu Kadai tells the story of an ordinary man, Bikram whose life changes magically after he gets a wok endowed with special powers. When the movie starts, we can see Bikram daydreaming about the girl he loves. A timid and under confident man, Bikram has made peace with his mundane 9 to 5 job instead of pursuing his passion for cooking.

One day, Bikram buys an old vintage wok from a mysterious man who claims to be from Bikram’s village, Palashpur. Before leaving, the man warns Bikram not to say about the wok to anyone. It creates suspicions in Bikram’s mind but he soon dismisses it.

We get to see Bikram’s monotonous life from close quarters. A descendant of the zamindars of Palashpur, Bikram stays in a modest apartment with his friend, Timir. He is in love with a PhD scholar, Rupsha who doesn’t reciprocate his feelings. According to Rupsha, Bikram is not smart and confident enough to win her heart. Bikram is passionate about cooking and aspires to be a chef. However, he does not have the courage to take a loan for starting his restaurant. Despite being a talented and good person, Bikram lives like a loser and we feel sympathy towards him.

However, Bikram’s life magically changes when he starts cooking in the magical wok. Rupsha falls in love with him and he gets a great offer to start his restaurant from business tycoon, Maganlal. A baffled Bikram embarks on a journey to find out the truth of the wok. He also has to protect the wok from greedy Maganlal who is the main antagonist of the movie.

Pace and Climax

Jadu Kadai picks momentum post interval. The first hour has a few dull moments and can test your patience. However, once Bikram understands the power of the wok, the movie becomes fast-paced and interesting. The last 30 minutes of the movie is filled with nail-biting moments. The climax is gripping and does justice to the plot.

Performance

Rahul who essayed the role of Bikram has done complete justice to his role. He effortlessly displayed a wide range of emotions such as fear, confusion, anger, and wonder. Sayani Dutta was pleasant as the confident and well-read Rupsha. Joydip Kundu as Maganlal was pretty good.

Screenplay, Direction and Background Score

The screenplay could have been better especially in the first half of the movie. The direction justified the script. I really enjoyed the background score associated with the wok. It was both funny and mysterious. It reminded me of the fantasy adventure film, Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne.

Final Words

Jadu Kadai revolves around the magical wok and the miracles and problems that occur in Bikram’s life due to the wok. If you enjoy watching fantasy adventure films with dollops of humour, you must watch Jadu Kadai on ZEE5 right away. The innovative and fresh concept will definitely leave a smile on your face.

Kolkata Knight Riders Roster: Performance in 2019

Kolkata Knight Riders are known for their consistency and persistent efforts. Although the team couldn’t win in 2019, they began this season pretty well. KKR had won the coveted IPL trophy in 2012 and 2014, acquiring loyal fans. The Baadshah of Bollywood, Shahrukh Khan is the proud owner of Kolkata Knight Riders. There are great talents on the Kolkata Knight Riders roster such as Dinesh Karthik, Robin Uthappa, Andre Russell, Chris Lynn, Sunil Narine, and Piyush Chawla.

In 2019, Kolkata Knight Riders, Chennai Super Kings, and Sunrisers Hyderabad had a great start. They were consistent in their performances. The players in purple and gold showed an impressive performance in the beginning by winning 4 matches comfortably. Although KKR began so well, they lost 6 matches back to back which made them struggle to get into the playoffs. They secured the 5th position this year. Let us take a look at the strength and weakness of the team.

Strength of KKR

There are some good power hitters on the Kolkata Knight Riders Roster such as Chris Lynn, Sunil Narine, and Andre Russell. Apart from the power hitters, the team has technically strong batters such as Dinesh Karthik, Robin Uthappa, Nitish Rana, and Shubman Gill.

Due to such an impressive list of players on the Kolkata Knight Riders roster, the team could successfully chase down a big total of 206 against Royal Challengers Bangalore. In 2019, Andre Russell grabbed all the limelight in KKR batting by hitting the ball straight out of the pavilion and rescuing KKR from hopeless situations. Andre Russell had an outstanding strike rate of 268.83 in the initial 5 matches.

Weakness of KKR

Kolkata Knight Riders had a strong bowling unit in the last years. However, this year, the bowling of the team lacked the spark. The trio of Sunil Narine, Kuldeep Yadav, and Piyush Chawla have not been at their best. They have leaked a few runs that have hampered the team.

KKR suffered the worst against Mumbai Indians when they lost the match by 9 wickets. In an earlier match at Eden Gardens, they have beaten MI by a whopping margin.

Thoughts on Captaincy

Dinesh Karthik’s team selection and leadership are questionable. Some crucial questions that disturb the fans of KKR are as follows:

Why was Andre Russell not batted higher?

Why it took so long for Shubman Gill to get the opening role?

During a press conference after the match, Andre Russell spoke of “bad decisions” that have hurt KKR. It is easy to gauge what exactly Russell was hinting at. Despite such promising players on the Kolkata Knight Riders roster, the team had to endure the poorest game of the season against Mumbai Indians.

The best player

There is no debate about the fact that Andre Russell is the best and valuable player on Kolkata Knight Riders roster in 2019. The West Indian All-rounder gave a stunning performance this year with an impressive strike rate. As 75% of 510 runs came between the overs 16 and 20, we can easily say that Russell was the most dangerous striker. Every time, Andre Russell came to bat, he was feared by the opposition team. He was also the leading wicket-taker of KKR with 11 wickets.

Disappointment

Kuldeep Yadav’s performance was disappointing. He played 9 matches and took 4 wickets. His bowling average of 71.50 per wicket is his worst performance in the history of IPL.

Play IPL matches on Dream 11

In case you are disappointed with the performance of KKR this season, you can build your own fantasy teams on Dream11 and play the match to your heart’s content. You can choose between numerous cash contests. If you are passionate about cricket, play and win prizes on Dream11 today.

My 5th book, "Letters from the Soul" launched in Blogchatter eBook Carnival

It's a very special day because my 5th book "Letters from the Soul" is launched today in the coveted #BlogchatterEbook Carnival Season 4 along with other wonderful eBooks. 

"Letters from the Soul" is a collection of 55 poems on soul healing, soul searching, and soul companions. I started working on it last year when I participated in the A-Z blogging challenge. I wanted more than 26 poems in this book and therefore I didn't publish it last year after the blogging challenge. I have experimented with more than 24 poetry forms in the book apart from writing in free verse. That was creatively so satiating.

I have divided the book into 4 seasons: Autumn, Winter, Spring, and Summer to show that life is just like a seasonal cycle. The way autumn gives way to spring, emptiness gives way to abundance. I got this idea after reading Toni Morrison's novel "The Bluest Eye".

If you enjoy reading my poetry, please go to the link mentioned below and download a free promotional copy of the eBook. 

 https://www.theblogchatter.com/download/purba-chakrabortys-letters-from-the-soul/

The eBook will be free for a limited time. So grab your copy and let me know your feedback. I can assure you that the poems in the book will give solace to your heart and soul. 

After the eBook carnival ends in June, I plan to launch the book on Amazon Kindle and then hopefully, release the paperback edition of the book by end of the year. 

The book is dedicated to all the believers, fighters, dreamers, and go-getters. I will need your support and reviews on this journey. Written with a lot of love, "Letters from the Soul" is now all yours. I welcome you on this soulful journey!