Tonic review: Dev Adhikari-Paran Bandopadhyay's film is a journey that heals the tired soul

4/5

Story:

75-year-old Jaladhar Sen (Paran Bandopadhyay)'s wedding anniversary is coming up. While his son arranges a terrace party, he has a deep desire to celebrate in a grander manner. Thus, he meets Tonic (Dev Adhikari) who arranges a trip for the couple. Will things fall through though?

Review:

Tonic is something that helps you heal from a disease. However, who can heal from the disease called life? The film called Tonic addresses that and beautifully at that.

Paran Bandopadhyay as Jaladhar Sen instantly wins your heart. He is the complete family man who has sarcasm even at the age he's at (75-year-old).

The film, which shows Kolkata's culture well, is also funny at the core. Tonic is shot in a way that it takes you through the lanes and culture of Kolkata. Not just that, it captures the beauty of Darjeeling and the adventure well too. Director Avijit Sen and cinematographer Supriyo Dutta are to be credited for the same.

The dialogues in Tonic also work well in favour of the theme. Despite having a comic setting, the drama in the film is also beautiful. It manages to fit in a thriller aspect too and beautifully merge all the three genres together in the scenes.

The heartbreak scene's execution, however, is a little dramatic. The makers paused the scene to create a dramatic effect which looks too OTT.

Dev Adhikari's entry, on the other hand, is filmy. He is named Tonic but makes only a fair first impression. His character grows on you almost instantly too. However, the song 'Oh Tonic' that is played almost everytime he enters is too much.

Not just him, every character in the film is colourful in itself which makes Tonic a fun watch. Whether from the Sen family or outside of it, every character brings something interesting to the table.

The fun chemistry between Tonic and Jaladhar makes the film so interesting and such a fun watch. It leaves you smiling throughout. A real-life meme comes alive in one of the scenes featuring them.

One of the last scenes, however, is clearly dramatized. The dialogue, nonetheless, is impactful and sums up the film well.

Verdict:

Go watch Tonic already! It is a film with a heart, family values and tradition at the core. The movie takes you on a journey, the one which heals the soul.