Hawa Bodol
Two friends swap lives after a drunken night.
Hawa Bodol is a Bengali comedy film from 2013, directed by Parambrata Chattopadhyay. It follows two old school friends, Satrajeet (Jeet) and Rajarshi (Raj), who run into each other after many years. Jeet is a partner in a large architecture firm he inherited from his late father-in-law, while Raj is a struggling singer in a band. After a party for one of Jeet’s non-Bengali business clients, the two buy drinks and end up drinking outdoors. Each wishes they had the other’s life. When they wake up, they discover their souls have swapped. Both struggle to navigate the other’s responsibilities. Raj, in Jeet’s body, visits his hometown of Chandannagar to see his parents, whom he left years ago to pursue singing. Jeet, in Raj’s body, goes to his own house to see his child. Inka, the businessman’s daughter, comes to stay with Raj (actually Jeet’s soul) after a fight with her parents. Raj, in Jeet’s body, proposes using terracotta instead of gold plates in a bathroom for Indonesian clients. Jeet, in Raj’s body, introduces Inka as the lead singer of the band, and her performance is well received. To reverse the swap, the friends repeat the same actions from the night it happened, and succeed. The film ends with Raj traveling to Chandannagar to visit his parents, and Jeet going on a family trip. The cast includes Raima Sen as Tanuka, Parambrata Chattopadhyay as Jeet, Rudranil Ghosh as Raj, Neha Panda as Inka, Dwijen Bandopadhyay, and Kaushik Ganguly as a music producer. The soundtrack was composed by Indradeep Dasgupta, with lyrics by Angshuman Chakraborty and Prosen, and includes a Rabindranath Tagore song, “Mor Bhabonare.” The film received mixed reviews and ran for five weeks, earning 16 million in its first week, 5 million in the second, and a total of 20 million over its run. A sequel, *Abar Hawa Bodol*, was released in 2026.
- release_year
- 2013
- language
- Bengali
- country
- India
- genre
- comedy film
- director
- Parambrata Chattopadhyay
- remake_of
- The Change-Up (2011 American film)
- box_office_total
- 20 million (after five weeks)
Lore & Background
The film follows two old school friends, Satrajeet (Jeet) and Rajarshi (Raj), who meet coincidentally after a long time. Jeet is a partner in a large architect firm inherited from his deceased father-in-law, while Raj is a struggling singer in a band. After attending a party for a non-Bengali business client, they buy drinks and wish for each other's lives, only to wake up with their souls interchanged. They struggle to navigate each other's responsibilities, including Raj visiting his hometown Chandannagar to see his parents and Jeet visiting his child. Inka, the businessman's daughter, comes to stay with Raj (in Jeet's body) after a fight with her parents. The friends eventually reverse the swap by repeating the same actions from the night of the exchange.
Reader's Guide
Hawa Bodol is significant as a Bengali-language adaptation of a Hollywood comedy, showcasing the cross-cultural exchange of film narratives in Indian cinema. Directed by Parambrata Chattopadhyay, who also stars as Jeet, the film received mixed reviews but achieved a theatrical run of five weeks. Its box office performance—16 million in week one, 5 million in week two, and a total of 20 million—indicates moderate commercial success. The soundtrack, composed by Indradeep Dasgupta, includes a Rabindranath Tagore song, blending traditional elements with the film's modern comedic tone. The release of a sequel, Abar Hawa Bodol, in 2026 suggests the film's lasting appeal or franchise potential within Bengali cinema.
Did You Know?
- The film is a remake of the 2011 American film The Change-Up.
- A sequel titled Abar Hawa Bodol was released in 2026.
- The soundtrack includes a Rabindranath Tagore song, 'Mor Bhabonare'.
- The film collected 20 million in total box office over five weeks.
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