Dhrubo Banerjee's directorial epic period action thriller film Raghu Dakat was released in the theatres on 25th September 2025. The film stars Superstar Dev, Anirban Bhattacharya, Idhika Paul, Sohini Sarkar, Roopa Ganguly, Om Sahani, Alexx O'Nell, and Carl A. Harte in pivotal roles.
The story revolves around Raghu Dakat (Dev), set against the backdrop of colonial unrest in Bengal, where he protects the people and Indigo farmers from the oppressive rule of the British. Raghu Dakat is a complete one-man show for Dev. From his grand title card design—something usually seen for South Indian superstars and for the first time in Bengali cinema—to his powerful mass avatar, everything is presented with finesse.
He remains convincing throughout, with his physique and intense expressions adding weight whenever required. Dev is a name that will always come up in discussions on the box office of Bengali cinema. Over his 19-year career, he has created and broken many records and will surely continue to set new benchmarks. As an actor, he has improved tremendously and is expected to surpass himself further in upcoming films, including Projapoti 2.
The film excels in production value—from sound design, VFX, and lighting to sets, locations, and costumes—everything is top-notch. Much credit goes to SVF Entertainment and Dev Entertainment Ventures for mounting the project on such a grand scale, making almost every scene visually striking, a level rarely seen before in Bengali cinema.
Anirban Bhattacharya, as Ahindra Barman, delivers a stellar performance, bringing menace through his look and powerful dialogue delivery. Sohini Sarkar gets a well-written character and performs convincingly, while Idhika Paul’s role feels somewhat forced into the narrative. Roopa Ganguly, Om Sahani, Alexx O’Nell, and Carl A. Harte do complete justice to their respective parts.
The background score by Nilayan Chatterjee and Rathijit Bhattacharjee is brilliant, especially in heightening crucial scenes. The title track stands out as the highlight, while the other songs are fairly decent. Soumik Halder’s cinematography was top-notch, capturing several stunning visuals that elevated the film. However, the editing by Md. Kalam could have been sharper, as trimming 10–15 minutes would have improved the pacing considerably.
Where the film falters most is in its writing. Even the lead characters lack proper development and meaningful backstories, making it difficult to invest in their journeys. The romantic track between Dev and Idhika Paul feels unnecessary and fails to add value to the narrative. Also, the film is emotionally weak, rarely allowing the audience to feel a genuine connection.
Ever since the first-look poster of Raghu Dakat was unveiled on 4th November 2021, on the occasion of Kali Puja, there has been tremendous anticipation. The film was expected to be a biographical action drama based on Bengal’s Robin Hood, Raghu Dakat.
However, the outcome turned out to be more of a large-scale celebration of Superstar Dev, rather than a focused character-driven story about Raghu Dakat as we had hoped. Personally, I feel the mismatch between the promotions and the final product is what led to disappointment.
This has also been noticeable in Dev’s recent films. For instance, in Khadaan, the promotions highlighted the on-screen chemistry between Dev and Jisshu Sengupta as the main attraction, but the film failed to deliver on that promise, with editing issues further weakening it.
Similarly, in Dhumketu, the campaign emphasized the return of the much-loved Dev-Subhashree Ganguly pairing. Yet, apart from 2–3 scenes together, the duo had little scope, leaving us underwhelmed.
Rating: 5/10
Q: Who directed the film Raghu Dakat, and when was it
released?
A: Raghu Dakat is an epic period action thriller directed by
Dhrubo Banerjee. The film was released in theatres on 25th September 2025.
Q: Who are the main actors in the film?
A: The film stars Superstar Dev in the lead role, alongside
Anirban Bhattacharya, Idhika Paul, Sohini Sarkar, Roopa Ganguly, Om Sahani,
Alexx O'Nell, and Carl A. Harte in pivotal roles.
Q: What is the story of Raghu Dakat about?
A: The story revolves around Raghu Dakat (played by Dev),
set against the backdrop of colonial unrest in Bengal. He emerges as a
protector of the people and Indigo farmers, standing up against the oppressive
British rule.
Q: How was Dev’s performance in the film?
A: Raghu Dakat is a complete one-man show for Dev. From his
South-style superstar title card (a first in Bengali cinema) to his commanding
mass avatar, he dominates the screen. His physique and intense expressions
enhance the performance, and he remains convincing throughout.
Q: How does Raghu Dakat contribute to Dev’s career?
A: Dev continues to be one of the biggest names in Bengali
cinema. With a 19-year career full of record-breaking box office successes, Raghu
Dakat further cements his star power, even if the film itself has narrative
flaws. Expectations are high for his next film, Projapoti 2.
Q: What stands out about the film’s technical aspects?
A: The film is high on production value. From sound design,
VFX, and lighting to sets, costumes, and locations—everything is visually
striking. SVF Entertainment and Dev Entertainment Ventures deserve credit for
delivering such a grand scale, rarely seen in Bengali cinema.
Q: How were the performances of the supporting cast?
A: Anirban Bhattacharya shines as Ahindra Barman with a
menacing look and powerful dialogue delivery. Sohini Sarkar delivers a
convincing performance in a well-written role. However, Idhika Paul’s character
feels forced into the narrative. Roopa Ganguly, Om Sahani, Alexx O’Nell, and
Carl A. Harte also justify their roles effectively.
Q: How was the music and background score?
A: The background score by Nilayan Chatterjee and Rathijit
Bhattacharjee is excellent and enhances several key scenes. The title track
stands out as a highlight, while the remaining songs are decent.
Q: What about the cinematography and editing?
A: Soumik Halder’s cinematography is one of the film’s
biggest strengths, capturing several stunning visuals. However, Md. Kalam’s
editing could have been sharper. Trimming 10–15 minutes could have improved the
film’s pacing significantly.
Q: What were the major drawbacks of the film?
A: The biggest issue lies in the writing. Character
development is poor—even for the leads—and there’s a lack of meaningful
backstory. The romantic angle between Dev and Idhika Paul feels unnecessary and
disconnected from the plot. Overall, the film lacks emotional depth, making it
hard for the audience to connect.
Q: Was the film able to meet audience expectations?
A: Unfortunately, no. Ever since the first-look poster was
released on Kali Puja, 4th November 2021, Raghu Dakat was promoted as a
biographical action drama on Bengal’s Robin Hood. What we received was more of
a grand celebration of Dev’s stardom, rather than a focused narrative on the
titular character. This mismatch between promotion and final output led to disappointment.
Q: Have similar issues occurred in Dev’s recent films?
A: Yes. In Khadaan, promotional materials highlighted
Dev–Jisshu Sengupta’s chemistry as a major draw, but it was barely explored,
and the editing was poor. Similarly, Dhumketu was marketed as the return of the
beloved Dev-Subhashree pairing, but they shared very little screen time, which
left fans underwhelmed.
Q: Final verdict?
A: Raghu Dakat is visually impressive and elevated by Dev
and Anirban Bhattacharya’s performances. However, weak writing, poor character
development, and an emotionally hollow narrative make it fall short of its
promise.
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