Adventures Of Jojo

Story: Adventures of Jojo revolves around the trio — Jojo, Shibu and Nonibala — and their escapades in the forests of Baropahari in Arunachal Pradesh. While enjoying the wildlife there, they discover the remains of a tiger and realise the sad reality of poachers lurking in the jungle.

Review: Adventures of Jojo, a film aimed at children, makes for entertaining viewing. With good acting, direction and screenplay, the film is tight and well-paced. And its message of wildlife and environment conservation is very apt for the age we live in.
In the film, Jojo, a young and carefree boy of 12, lives with his parents in Kolkata. While others his age are busy with studies and school, Jojo dreams of the wilderness and the animals in it. When his parents have to leave town to take his grandmother to a hospital in Vellore, Jojo goes off with his uncle for a vacation to Baropahari in Arunachal Pradesh.
The lush green surroundings of the region mesmerise the boy. His cousins, who live there, are obsessed only with getting good marks and studying all day. Jojo is different. He seeks adventure. And the adventures come thick and fast when he meets Shibu, a local boy of similar age. Shibu grew up in the midst of nature and is friendly with all the animals, especially an elephant named Noni. Together, the three embark on a mission to stop a gang of poachers from killing Chengis, a huge tiger who is seen as the protector of the forest.
This makes for an interesting premise. And the execution is decent too. The direction by Raj Chakraborty is on point, not veering far from the tight script penned by Padmanabha Dasgupta. Jashojeet Banerjee makes a memorable debut as the titular character. He is ably supported by Samiul Alam (Shibu), who looks a lot like a Mowgli/Tarzan crossover. Rudranil Ghosh is menacing and effective as the infamous poacher Munia Hazari, who was once attacked by Chengis.
The songs are entertaining and do their part in moving the story along at a brisk pace. The lyrics by Srijato are also to the point and bring to life the fascinating world and dreams of Jojo. The camera work, especially the aerial shots of the forest, is top notch. And it is heartening to see the quality of special effects improve in Bengali cinema. The tiger here is much more believable as a realistic character than efforts from a few years ago.
Overall, it is a solid effort that is only let down by the pacing in the second half of the film.

— Srijoy Mukherjee