Prosenjit Chatterjee’s latest Kakababu adventure, Vijaynagar’er Hirey, lands in theatres today with a promise: a treasure hunt through the ruins of Hampi, wrapped in myth and history. The film opens with a crash — literally. A past chase on hilly terrain ends in disaster, leaving Kakababu with a limp. Cut to present-day Kolkata, where he single-handedly disarms terrorists in a museum. ‘This is Kakababu’s Kolkata,’ he declares. The tone is set: this is not just a quest for a diamond called the Hen’s Egg. It’s a personal reckoning. 

The plot thickens fast. Summoned by his ailing mentor, Prof. Bhagawati Prasad Sharma, Kakababu heads to Hampi, not for holiday, but for a mission. Alongside nephew Shontu (Aaryan Bhowmik), a cast of friends. Rinku, Ranjan, Jojo, and a tribal guardian clan known as Kavach, he decodes clues hidden in ancient architecture, folklore, and numerology. The stakes? A lost jewel of the Vijaynagara Empire. But when the mentor is murdered, the hunt becomes a race against betrayal, greed, and time. 

Prosenjit, returning for his fourth turn as the limping sleuth, delivers what’s expected: calm, controlled, intelligent. He makes the historical exposition feel natural. His presence holds the film together. But the rest? Not so much. Aaryan Bhowmik’s Shontu lacks depth. Jojo (the drummer) is either comic relief or an extra. Rajnandini Paul plays a princess from the Chandragiri dynasty who speaks fluent Bengali. No explanation given. And Mohan Singh, the villain, hams it up with a baffling South Indian accent that clashes with his supposed Bengali roots. 

The direction by Chandrasish Ray leans into dated tropes. Over-the-top acting, predictable twists, weak action choreography. The cinematography fails to capture the grandeur of Hampi’s ruins. The script meanders. Pacing drags. The film wants to be cool, but feels like a rerun. 

Still, there’s craft. The production design is sharp, the secret chambers, period props, the set construction. The final riddle is satisfying. And yes, Kakababu finds the treasure. But does he find truth? That’s left open. 

Koimoi’s verdict: only if you have nothing better to watch. The film isn’t bad. It’s just… forgettable. A promising idea buried under formula. 

Now, the real question: will audiences care enough to see it? Or will they skip straight to the next thing?