Chengiz

2023 Indian Bengali film by Rajesh Ganguly

Chengiz

Theatrical release poster

Directed by| Rajesh Ganguly
Written by| Neeraj Pandey
Rajesh Ganguly
Screenplay by| Rajesh Ganguly
Based on| Calcutta Underworld
Produced by| Jeet
Gopal Madnani
Amit Jumrani
Starring|

* Jeet
* Rohit Roy
* Susmita Chatterjee
* Shataf Figar

Cinematography| Manas Ganguly
Edited by| Malay Laha
Music by| Kaushik Guddu
Aneek Dhar
Beatz MA

Production
companies

Grassroot Entertainment
Jeetz Filmworks

Distributed by| Jeetz Filmworks (Bengali)
AA Films (Hindi)

Release date

* 21 April 2023 (2023-04-21)[1]

Running time

| 153 minutes
Country| India
Language| Bengali

Chengiz (/tʃɛŋɡɪz/; also marketed as Chengiz: The One Who Has No Boundaries, No Limits, is a 2023 Indian Bengali-language period action-crime thriller film co-written and directed by Rajesh Ganguly.[2] Based on a story written by Neeraj Pandey about Calcutta underworld, the film was produced by Jeet, Gopal Madnani, and Amit Jumrani under the banners of Grassroot Entertainment and Jeetz Filmworks. It stars Jeet in the titular role, as well as in dual role, alongside Susmita Chatterjee, Rohit Roy and Shataf Figar in another pivotal roles. The film shows the situation of Kolkata from mid 70s to late 90s following the journey of a child named Jaidev Singh who struggles with his life since his childhood and later becomes the dreaded drug lord named Chengiz in the Calcutta underworld.[3]

The film was announced in March 2022, being the 55th film of Jeet as the leading actor. Principal photography commenced in April 2022 in Kolkata, with additional shoots in Morocco and Thailand, and concluded in November 2022. The film's music was composed by Aneek Dhar and Kaushik-Guddu, with cinematography and editing handled by Manas Ganguly and Malay Laha respectively. The action sequences of the film were designed by Stunt Silva, while the dance sequences were choreographed by Imran Sardhariya.[4]

Chengiz was theatrically released in India on 21 April 2023 in both Bengali and Hindi, becoming the first pan-Indian Bengali film to be released simultaneously in these two languages.[5][6] It was a commercial success at the box office, running over for 210 days in theatres and emerged as the highest grossing Bengali film of 2023.[7][8]

## Plot

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1976: One day, Jaidev Singh finishes a gangster named Rashid Khan, a henchman of a local councillor, in order to avenge his parents' death and steps into the Calcutta underworld at the age of 16 where he starts working for a powerful gangster Md. Omar alias Nalli Bhai and also changes his name as Chengiz.

1970: Earlier, when Jaidev was 10 years old, his parents were killed by a local goon named Rashid Khan at Durgapur, and then inspector Samir Sinha adopted him as his son, as being a maternal uncle.

1995: After working with Nalli Bhai, Chengiz starts to establish his own crime ring across West Bengal, UP and Bihar, but his life changes when he has to deal with his maternal uncle ACP Samir Sinha, who is appointed to eradicate Chengiz's crime ring. A cat-and-mouse game goes on between Jaidev and his maternal uncle for years.

2001: Chengiz managed to escape from Calcutta somehow in disguise and the police failed to arrest him, for which he used Daniel D'Souza since their faces were quite identical.

2022: At Marakkesh, Morocco, Jaidev alias Chengiz (now old) is seen having lunch at a hotel in the end scene, thus implying that he is still operating some parts of Kolkata from there itself (proving himself to be an era of the Calcutta underworld) and always keeping a constant close watch on his uncle Samir Sinha.

## Cast

[edit]

* Jeet in dual role as
* Jaidev Singh aka Chengiz, the underworld Kingpin of Calcutta from 1995 to 2001
* Daniel D'Souza, a software engineer
* Dev Chanda as Jaidev's childhood friend [9]
*       * Ayush Das as teenage Jaidev Singh
* Rohit Roy as ACP Samir Sinha,[10] maternal uncle of Jaidev aka Chengiz (who was hired to look into Chengiz's case)
* Susmita Chatterjee as Nandini Sen, Chengiz's wife
* Suvosmita Mukherjee[11] as Debjani Bhowmik, Debu and Rupali's daughter
* Shataf Figar as MD. Omar Khalid alias Baren Nalli, gangster of Central Calcutta (from 1976 to 1995)
* Amlan Majumdar as Manik Sanyal alias Thunto Joga, gangster of East Kolkata (from 1976 to 2001)
* Indrajit Mazumder as Mughal Abbas alias Mirchi Bhai, gangster of Kidderpore dock area (from 1976 to 2001)
* Avrajit Chakraborty as Ispahani
* Sohan Banerjee as DCDD Goutam Bose
* Sam Mukherjee as Andrew Brazgana
* Tuhin Ghosh Chakraborty as teenage Andrew Brazgana
* Sudip Mukherjee as Commissioner Amit Dhar
* Biswaroop Biswas as Arun Roy aka Kallu, an assassin
* Annine Sen as Purbali, Ispahani's wife
* Ayesha Bhattacharya as Sonali, Andrew's wife
* Mousumi Das as Rupali, Debu's wife
* Somnath Kar as Binay Bose IPS
* Vascar Dev as Mohsin Khan IPS

## Production

[edit]

### Development and Pre-production

[edit]

In February 2022, rumours reported that Superstar Jeet 55 is going to be a gangster drama directed by Rajesh Ganguly, with a story written by Neeraj Pandey and Ganguly himself.[12] It was also considered to be the 2nd collaboration of the trio, Jeet, Rajesh Ganguly and Neeraj Pandey after 8 years of The Royal Bengal Tiger, which marked their first film together.[13] On 30 March 2022, the film confirmed its title Chengiz, with muharat having been done.[14] Makeup artist Somnath Kundu, famous for making prosthetics, was hired to design the looks of the characters. Imran Sardhariya, who choreographed dance sequences in Jeet's previous film Raavan, was announced to be a part of it. Later Stunt Silva, a renowned fight master from Chennai, was hired to upscale the action sequences of the film.[15]

### Casting

[edit]

Model Susmita Chatterjee, who made her acting debut with Prem Tame (2021) was signed to play the love interest of the protagonist. Shataf Figar, who played the main antagonist in Jeet's previous film Raavan, was reported to play another pivotal role. Rohit Bose Roy, was signed to portray an important role, being the narrator of the whole film.[16]

## Soundtrack

[edit]

The soundtrack consists of three original songs composed by Aneek Dhar and Kaushik-Guddu, namely, "Widda", "Ebhabe Ke Daake" and "Ragada". Lyrics are written by Pranjal Das and Prosen.

The first song "Widda" was released on 27 March 2023 in Bengali and Hindi.[17] The second song "Ebhabe Ke Daake" in Bengali and "Teri Meri Baatein" in Hindi, released on 8 April 2023.[18] The third song "Ragada" was released on 13 April 2023 in Bengali and Hindi.[19]

Original versionNo.| Title| Lyrics| Music| Singer(s)| Length

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1.| "Widda"| Pranjal Das| Aneek Dhar| Divya Kumar| 3:16
2.| "Ebhabe Ke Daake"| Prosen| Kaushik-Guddu| Arijit Singh| 4:14
3.| "Ragada"| Pranjal Das| Aneek Dhar| Mika Singh| 3:08
Total length:| 10:08

Hindi versionNo.| Title| Lyrics| Music| Singer(s)| Length

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|
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1.| "Widda"| Panchhi Jalonvi| Aneek Dhar| Divya Kumar| 3:16
2.| "Teri Meri Baatein"| Kunaal Vermaa| Kaushik-Guddu| Sanjith Hegde| 4:17
3.| "Ragada"| Shabbir Ahmed| Aneek Dhar| Mika Singh| 3:08
Total length:| 10:11

## Marketing

[edit]

The official Bengali teaser of the film was released on 30 November 2022.[20] The official Hindi teaser of the film was released on 23 March 2023.[21] The official Bengali and Hindi Trailer of the film was released on 3 April 2023.[22]

## Release

[edit]

### Theatrical

[edit]

The film was released simultaneously in Bengali and Hindi theatrically on 21 April 2023.[23][24]

### Screenings and statistics

[edit]

Chengiz is released in approximately over 774 screens and with over 1232+ shows in all over India,[25] which was "the highest in recent times for a Bengali film". In India, the Bengali version premiering on over 120 screens, with approximately 300 shows.[25][26] The Hindi version was reported to showcase on over 650 screens, with over 800 shows.[25]

## Reception

[edit]

### Box office

[edit]

On its opening day, Chengiz collected a total net of ₹0.35 crore worldwide including ₹0.25 crore from the Bengali version.[25] The Hindi dubbed version of the film initially released theatrically in over 800 shows across India and netted ₹0.10 crore at the Indian box office in the first day.[25] The Hindi dubbed version collected ₹1.25 crore at the box office in its first week.[27]

### Critical response

[edit]

Ujjainee Roy of The Times of India rated the film 3 out of 5 stars and wrote "Chengiz could make the team proud; it’s quite stately in production value and treatment. The action sequences choreographed by Stunt Silva are slick, well-timed and edited quite effortlessly with Jeet excelling in mano-a-mano combat scenes. The long gunfight sequence towards the climax, however, brings in too many elements. This can also be said of the film; it has too many players in the mix, and everyone is out to get Chengiz. After a point, you may stop caring about who’s the lesser (or the better) criminal."[28]

Shamayita Chakraborty of OTTplay gave 3 out of 5 stars and wrote "Chengiz has a plot and fantastic action sequences but it lacks a convincing presentation. The film starts with sloppy acting and continues to reflect an iota of research as it progresses. Billed as a period film, Chengiz shows the ’90s Kolkata and yet the makers take no effort to make the period look convincing."[29]

Agnivo Niyogi of The Telegraph reviewed the film and noted "Jeet, who is used to playing a superhuman hero in film after film, lives up to expectations. Be it the action, one-liners or an intense look, he knows how to get it right. Rohit Roy delivers a nuanced performance, especially his act of betrayal just before the climax. Shataf Figar, as Jaidev’s mentor, also makes an impact. The weak link is Jaidev’s love interest Nandini, who is reduced to a trophy wife." He also praised Ganguly's cinematography, the music and songs but criticised the too convoluted sub plots which elongates the runtime.[30]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Agnivo Niyogi (21 April 2023). "KKBKKJ, Chengiz, Suzume, Evil Dead Rise: Films releasing in cinemas". www.telegraphindia.com. Kolkata: The Telegraph India. Archived from the original on 21 April 2023. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
2. ^ "Superstar Jeet's 'Chengiz' to Be the First Bengali Film to Release in Hindi and Bengali". News18. 21 March 2023. Archived from the original on 21 March 2023. Retrieved 21 March 2023.
3. ^ "মুখোমুখি জিৎ-সলমন! ঈদে বাংলা ও হিন্দি ভাষায় মুক্তি পাচ্ছে জিতের 'চেঙ্গিজ়'". www.anandabazar.com (in Bengali). 22 March 2023. Archived from the original on 26 March 2023. Retrieved 26 March 2023.
4. ^ "Famous stunt director from South roped in for Jeet's next 'Chengiz't". The Times of India. 20 June 2022. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
5. ^ "Jeet's Chengiz becomes first Bengali film to get a simultaneous Hindi release". The Indian Express. 21 March 2023. Archived from the original on 21 March 2023. Retrieved 21 March 2023.
6. ^ "জিৎ ইজ ব্যাক! ইদে অনন্য ডবল ধামাকা নিয়ে আসছে চেঙ্গিজ". Hindustantimes Bangla (in Bengali). 21 March 2023. Archived from the original on 21 March 2023. Retrieved 21 March 2023.
7. ^ "Tollywood half-yearly report 2023: The box office hits and misses". Times of India. 7 July 2023. Retrieved 24 January 2025.
8. ^ Seta, Fenil (2 February 2024). "Box Office 2023: Punjabi films grossed Rs. 235 crores, Marathi films grossed Rs. 201 crores, Bengali films grossed Rs. 66 crores in 2023". Bollywood Hungama. Archived from the original on 5 February 2024. Retrieved 24 January 2025.
9. ^ "Ahead of 'Raavan' release, Jeet announces his next 'Chengiz'". The Times of India. ISSN 0971-8257. Archived from the original on 22 March 2023. Retrieved 22 March 2023.
10. ^ "'Chengiz' update: First look of Rohit Bose Roy as ACP Samir Sinha from Jeet's upcoming action thriller". The Times of India. ISSN 0971-8257. Archived from the original on 22 March 2023. Retrieved 22 March 2023.
11. ^ "মিঠাই-খড়ি সবাই ফেল! ছোটপর্দা কাঁপিয়ে জিতের সাথে বক্স অফিস কাঁপাতে চলেছেন জি বাংলার এই নায়িকা". Bong Trend - Bangla Entertainment News and Viral News. 5 April 2023. Retrieved 4 July 2023.
12. ^ Chatterjee, Arindam (22 April 2023). "Jeet talks about his pan-India release Chengiz". t2 Online. Retrieved 25 January 2025.
13. ^ Mukherjee, Anindita (27 April 2023). "With Chengiz, is Jeet trying to fit Bengali cinema in regional vs Hindi debate?". India Today. Retrieved 25 January 2025.
14. ^ Das, Soujannya (20 April 2023). "Jeet on his gangster film Chengiz: 'I hope it adds something to my filmography'". The Telegraph. Retrieved 25 January 2025.
15. ^ "Famous stunt director from South roped in for Jeet's next 'Chengiz'". The Times of India. 20 June 2022. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
16. ^ Ghosh, Sankha (6 April 2023). "Rohit Bose Roy: 'Chengiz' is my first out-and-out commercial Bengali film, so decided to work with the best of the bests - Exclusive". Times of India. Retrieved 25 January 2025.
17. ^ "'Chengiz' song 'Widda' will give you an instant adrenaline rush". Times of India. 28 March 2023. Retrieved 25 January 2025.
18. ^ "The highly anticipated film 'Chengiz' releases their romantic song 'Teri Meri Baatein'". Firstpost. 8 April 2023. Retrieved 25 January 2025.
19. ^ "'Chengiz' sonf 'Ragada' out now, Mika Singh delivers party anthem of the season". Times of India. 13 April 2023. Retrieved 25 January 2025.
20. ^ সংবাদদাতা, নিজস্ব. "হাতে জ্বলছে চুরুট, চারপাশে উড়ছে টাকার নোট, জন্মদিনে এ কোন জিৎ?". www.anandabazar.com (in Bengali). Archived from the original on 22 March 2023. Retrieved 22 March 2023.
21. ^ "'Chengiz' Hindi teaser out, Jeet goes all guns blazing in the action thriller". Times of India. 23 March 2023. Retrieved 25 January 2025.
22. ^ "Chengiz trailer: Bengali superstar Jeet stars in this formulaic over-the-top actioner, watch". Indian Express. 3 April 2023. Retrieved 25 January 2025.
23. ^ "Jeet's next 'Chengiz' to be first Bengali film ever to release in Hindi and Bengali simultaneously". The Times of India. ISSN 0971-8257. Archived from the original on 21 March 2023. Retrieved 21 March 2023.
24. ^ "বাংলার পাশাপাশি এবার হিন্দিতেও 'চেঙ্গিজ', নতুন ছবিতে ইতিহাস গড়বেন সুপারস্টার জিৎ". sangbadpratidin. Archived from the original on 21 March 2023. Retrieved 21 March 2023.
25. ^ a b c d e Shantanu Ray Chaudhuri (29 April 2023). "Chengiz works as a Jeet-starrer but doesn't have what a film needs to be Bengal's answer to the south". www.telegraphindia.com. Kolkata: Telegraph India. Retrieved 1 May 2023.
26. ^ "Hall list of West Bengal as of now… More to be added shortly". Archived from the original on 24 April 2023. Retrieved 22 April 2023.
27. ^ "Chengiz Box Office". Bollywood Hungama. 21 April 2023. Retrieved 6 May 2023.
28. ^ "Chengiz Movie Review : Jeet's big, bad mafia movie is not too shabby, just too long". The Times of India. ISSN 0971-8257. Archived from the original on 24 April 2023. Retrieved 24 April 2023.
29. ^ "Chengiz review: Jeet has the right intent but what about storytelling and making?". OTTplay.
30. ^ Niyogi, Agnivo (22 April 2023). "Chengiz is a one-man show that hinges on Jeet's showmanship". The Telegraph. Retrieved 25 January 2025.

## External links

[edit]

* Chengiz at IMDb

*[No.]: Number