Manush: Child of Destiny

Manush: Child of Destiny is a 2023 Indian Bengali-language action thriller film written and directed by Sanjoy Somadder. It marks the directorial debut of the Bangladeshi film director Sanjoy Somadder in Indian Bengali film. Produced by Superstar Jeet, Gopa Madnani and Amit Jumrani under his production Grassroot Entertainment and Jeetz Filmworks. Distributed by AA Films, it is the third film from the Bengali film industry to be released in Hindi after Chengiz and Bagha Jatin. The film stars Superstar Jeet, Jeetu Kamal, Susmita Chatterjee and Bidya Sinha Saha Mim in the pivotal roles.

The music of the film was composed by Aneek Dhar, Savvy and Ahmmed Humayun, while the action sequences were designed by Ravi Varma. The film was released on 24 November 2023 simultaneously in Bengali and Hindi in India. On 15 December 2023 it was released in Bangladesh. The film became an average success.

Plot
The film tells the story of hope and redemption, having emotion in every inch. Arjun (Jeet) is a middle class honest police officer who loves his daughter more than anything and can go to any extent for her whereas his enemy Mannan (Jeetu Kamal) is a notorious drug dealer and ruthless criminal. However certain circumstances slowly change Arjun (Jeet) into an inhuman seeking money which makes Arjun (Jeet) become a drug lord and criminal named ‘Victor’. He is suspended from his job and continues to deal with drugs in the underworld for money whereas Mannan (Jeetu Kamal) leaves the underworld by stopping all his crimes and starts to live a peaceful life by helping poor children after being diagnosed with advanced stage rare blood cancer. Soon the wheel of fate moves around making Victor (Jeet) realise that an enemy can also be a true friend. How they will both succeed to win the game of survival and fight the battle of destiny to become a true human being forms the rest of the story.

Cast

 * Jeet as Arjun Mukherjee, NCB officer/Victor, a wanted drug lord
 * Ayanna Chatterjee as Mili Mukherjee, Arjun's daughter
 * Jeetu Kamal as Mannan
 * Susmita Chatterjee as Kajal
 * Bidya Sinha Saha Mim as Encounter Specialist Mandira Sangal
 * Saurav Chakravarti as Akbar
 * Kaushik Chakraborty as Diwan ji
 * Sumit Ganguly as a drug dealer (cameo)
 * Pradip Dhar as Arjun's boss
 * Prantik Banerjee as Kuntal
 * Somnath Kar as Akbar's henchman
 * Vashkar Dev as Arjun's friend
 * Debapratim Dasgupta as Majid

Music
The music of the film was composed by Aneek Dhar, Savvy and Ahmmed Humayun, while the background score was composed by Anbu Shelvan. The Bengali lyrics were written by Srijato, Pranjal, Sanjoy Somaddar and Rivo while the Hindi lyrics were written by Shloke Lal, Prashant Ingole and Panchhi Jalonvi.

The singers are Sonu Nigam, Shreya Ghosal, Rupam Islam, Shashwat Singh and Abhay Jodhpurkar.

The first single, titled "Tumi Amari Hobe" in Bengali and "Udd Jaun Tere Sang" in Hindi, was released on 31 October 2023. The second single in both the languages were released on 14 November 2023. The third single was released on 20 November 2023. The fourth single was released on 22 November 2023.

Development
The film was announced on 30 November 2022 on Jeet's birthday. On 14 December 2022, the star cast was announced.

Filming
On 2 December 2022, Jeet announced the "Shubh Muhurat" of the film. The film was wrapped up on 30 June 2023. The total filming was completed in 40 days. Major portions of the film were shot at Kolkata, Purulia and Thailand.

Marketing
The first look of Jeet from the movie was released on 19 September 2023 on the occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi. The second poster was released on 24 October, on the occasion of Bijaya Dashami. The third poster was released 28 October 2023, on the day of Lakshmi Puja. A third poster was released one day prior to the trailer on 9 November 2023.

The Bengali teaser of the film was released on 14 October 2023 on the occasion of Mahalaya. The Hindi teaser was released one day later, on 15 October 2023. The Hindi and Bengali trailers were dropped on 10 November 2023 on Grassroot Entertainment's YouTube channel.

Release
The film was released in cinemas in Bengali and Hindi on 24 November 2023. On 15 December 2023 it was released in Bangladesh.

Critical reception
The film was released to highly positive reviews from the critics and audience praising the story plot, editings, action sequences and Jeet's acting. Suparna Majumder of Sangbad Pratidin rated the film 4 out of 5 stars and wrote "The movie speaks about drug lords, a helpless father and the fight for survival. A complete action potboiler bound by an emotional father-daughter story, Jeet fans will enjoy the film."

Souvik Saha of Cine Kolkata rated the film 3.5 out of 5 stars and wrote " Despite weak screenplay and insufficient character establishment, Jeet’s flawless performance, visually appealing cinematography, background music and thrilling action scenes makes it watchable for fans of the genre."

Bongo Banjo rated the film and said " The film waves together action, drama, and sweetness, promising an unforgettable cinematic experience. From the gripping narrative to the stellar performances, 'Manush' is a cinematic journey that keeps the audience on the edge of their seats."