Homecoming movie review: Bengalis live in the past as much as they live in the present. Hence, despite all the successes in their lives, they love to live in the addas during Durga Pujo or having a rousing discussion over politics with cha-biscuit on the side or drone about failed  college prem (love). Soumyajit Majumdar’s Homecoming tries to tap all that but ends up being just another movie on Bengalis' fixation with nostalgia and art. Homecoming Trailer: Sayani Gupta, Tushar Pandey’s Musical Drama Will Take You on an Emotional Rollercoaster Ride, to Release on SonyLIV on February 18! (Watch Video).

Five friends start a theatre group called Amra (Us) when in college but different ambitions drift them apart. Seven years later, their theatre is getting transformed into a heritage hotel which reunite them one last time. So there's a homesick NRI (Soham Majumdar), an estranged couple (Sayani Gupta and Hussain Dalal), a guest (Plabita Borthakur) enamoured by the legends, and an actor (Tushar Pandey) busy pitying himself to do anything about his misery.

The movie generously uses Bengali, interspersed with English and very little Hindi. This obviously has been done with an objective of broadening its audience. Bengalis have always been culturally inclined and advanced. So here too Majumdar infuses that talent perfectly. Creating an ambience almost every person from the community will identify with is the masterstroke here. It is also for those pretentious kinds who talk about changing the world without moving anything. Getting those nuances right is perhaps the biggest high of the movie.

But soon the sheen starts fading when you realise the movie is heading towards nowhere. Majumdar's convoluted execution makes you wonder what exactly is the purpose of this entire setup. Perhaps the friends are supposed to find each other again but all they do is take care of their own personal mess. It's reunion where they aren't even reuniting. Someone rightfully mentions in the film, "This is a reunion and yet you all are so alienated". Towards the end, as if a sudden realisation of the same makes the director bring all of them together and that too is done so half-heartedly, you are appalled.

The intelligentsia issue that one of the character cribs about becomes the problem here too. They talk intelligent and that's it...they just talk. All the characters lack perspective or any direction. Resultant? none of the characters leave any impact on you. The worse is in a manner of presentation every character is assigned a hashtag but the director forgets to elaborate on any of the quirks. That was a perfect cue which Majumdar misses completely. Sayani Gupta: With OTT, You No Longer Need To Be a Star To Get Hired in Films or Shows.

Watch the trailer here...

Like we mentioned before none of the characters leave any mark on you, so no amount of good performance can elevate experience. Tushar Pandey's brooding presence is so overdone you stop caring for the character, Plabita seemed decent but adds least support to the story despite her poetry at the end, Soham Majumdar is plain okay and so is Sayani Gupta. Rest are just there.

Yay!

- Setup and Durga pujo

-nostalgia to some extent

Nay!

-no soul

-no purpose

-no direction

Final Thoughts

Homecoming's intention probably is to project a culture of art, music, Durga Pujo and adda...all synonymous to Bengalis and address some issues on the side. Unfortunately, it fails in all accounts. Homecoming streams on SonyLIV.

Rating:1.5

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 18, 2022 09:21 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).