Daktar Kaku attempts to use the world of medicine to tell a larger story about family, ideology, gratitude, ambition and the changing meaning of service. The film has a relevant subject and several emotionally effective moments, but its ambition is often held back by uneven writing and excessive exposition.

A Relevant Story About Medicine and Ideology

At its centre is Dr Dilip Saha, played by Prosenjit Chatterjee, a committed doctor whose understanding of medicine is closely connected to his social and ideological beliefs. After losing his wife, he raises his son Puskin while also taking responsibility for Pocha and Mampi.

Puskin, played by Riddhi Sen, and Pocha, played by Pavel, grow up together and eventually become doctors. However, their understanding of what a doctor should be becomes increasingly different.

Pocha remains deeply grateful to Dr Saha and continues to view him as a mentor and guru, while Puskin begins to question the values he has inherited and moves towards a more business-minded approach to medicine.

Prosenjit Chatterjee Anchors the Film

Prosenjit Chatterjee delivers one of the film’s most controlled performances. As Dr Dilip Saha, he brings restraint and credibility to the role without resorting to unnecessary overacting.

His mannerisms and empathy towards patients help establish the character as a doctor shaped by responsibility. However, the character writing does not always provide enough backstory or action to fully establish the ideology that the screenplay repeatedly talks about.

Riddhi Sen’s Emotional Conflict

Riddhi Sen plays Puskin with sincerity. The character’s resentment towards his father is connected to the loss of his mother and the belief that Dr Saha chose his professional duty at a crucial moment.

That emotional wound could have become the film’s strongest dramatic engine. Instead, the screenplay sometimes moves too quickly between confrontation, ideological disagreement and reconciliation.

Riddhi handles the emotional scenes well, although the character’s overall arc could have been developed with greater depth.

Pavel Is Effective, Though Uneven

Pavel’s Pocha is an important emotional component of the film. His gratitude towards Dr Saha gives the story a warmer dimension, and several of his emotional scenes work effectively.

However, some of the longer monologues and dialogue-heavy moments feel slightly rehearsed rather than completely natural. The issue becomes more noticeable when the screenplay asks the character to explain ideas that could have been communicated more effectively through behaviour.

Rajatava Dutta and the Visual Language

Rajatava Dutta is effective in his role, although the character does not receive enough consistent development.

The elevator sequence involving Puskin and Mr Damani is one of the more interesting visual moments. The confined space and movement between different levels complement Puskin’s internal movement between opposing ideas.

Ena Saha

Ena Saha brings an approachable presence to her character, although the character itself is not written with the same depth as the central roles.

Her Bengali delivery can occasionally feel somewhat exaggerated. The accent and pronunciation sometimes appear more pronounced than necessary, making a few moments feel less natural.

The Film Needed a Tighter Edit

One of the film’s structural weaknesses is its pacing. The central story has enough material to sustain a focused drama, but songs and romantic portions occasionally interrupt the narrative momentum.

The college and ragging-related comedy portions in the first half also feel less essential to the central story. A tighter runtime could have allowed the main emotional conflict to receive more space.

The Biggest Problem Is the Writing

Daktar Kaku has several worthwhile ideas: healthcare inequality, hospital costs, rural medical services, social responsibility and the commercialisation of healthcare.

The difficulty is that the film attempts to address too many of these ideas simultaneously. Characters frequently explain their positions directly, while some ideological points are repeated.

The father-son relationship also needed more nuance. The strongest version of this story would allow the audience to understand why both Puskin and Dr Saha believe what they do.

Final Verdict

Daktar Kaku is an ambitious Bengali drama that attempts to use medicine as a window into larger questions about family, ideology, ambition and social responsibility.

Prosenjit Chatterjee provides a strong centre, while Riddhi Sen and Pavel contribute effectively in their respective roles. There are also moments of thoughtful filmmaking, particularly when the film communicates ideas visually rather than through dialogue.

But the screenplay remains the biggest obstacle. The film carries too many ideas, explains too much, repeats some of its messages and spends too much time on portions that could have been removed.

With tighter editing, deeper characterisation and a more organically developed father-son conflict, Daktar Kaku could have been a more powerful drama. As it stands, it is a relevant film with worthwhile ideas and good performances, but an uneven execution.