The corpse of a popular singer, his pregnant wife, a semi-dysfunctional family, a suave but conflicted detective, and a perfect crime - a perfect recipe for a detective thriller.
Bangladeshi audiences have become acquainted with foreign thrillers, and thanks to the recent surge of OTT platforms, there is no end to thriller films now-a-days.
So, in order to match the pace, the Bangladeshi platforms need to evolve and develop their own style of storytelling and filmmaking, which has been seen in the recent thriller by Vicky Zahed’s ‘Redrum.’
The film was released on the OTT platform ‘Chorki’ on the 17th February, and since then has been making waves in the showbiz world.
Redrum created much hype as Mehzabin’s first web platform film. She has starred with Afran Nisho after many successful package dramas. The film’s cast also includes Manoj Pramanik, Azizul Hakim, Nasir Uddin Khan and Sallha Khanam Nadia.
Mehzabin has played the role of the Nila, wife of Sohel - the murdered musician. Upholding the continuity of her playing melancholic, wide-eyed woman in recent days, she has wrapped the sorrow around her. However, Nila is not the least broken, despite the mounting odds against her, and holds her head with courage and mettle.
Rashed is a CID officer who is called ‘The Human Lie Detector’ for his ability to detect lies just upon observing one's body language and gestures.
Afran Nisho as Rashed sporting a thick moustache has been a treat to the eyes in the film, giving the actor a solemn, articulated vibe essential for a thriller film protagonist.
There have been some amazing moments where Nisho has impressed the audiences with his gestures, and dialogues, indicating his ease with the character. His moments of confrontation with the horrors of his past and his inner conflict have been portrayed with laudable prowess.
Another brilliant aspect of the fim was the character of Sohel, played by Manoj Kumar Pramanik with equal brilliance. Passion, obsessive love towards Nila, and artistic talents set the character apart, where Manoj has proved his worth.
Lubna, played by Sallha Khanam Nadia is a pivotal part in the film, moulding the course of its storyline. Even though the character development could have been made a little bit better, she still remains fresh in our memory with her youthful passion and Shakespearen tragic end.
Seasoned actor Azizul Hakim has done justice to his name by portraying the character of the former military officer Karim Sheikh, who is a doting and at the same time disappointed father of Nila. Karim Sheikh has shown confidence in his manners and words, and he has an unbridled spirit which is a rarity in the father-figures in Bangladeshi films these days.
Nasir Uddin Khan has played the role of Ikram, Rashed’s assistant who looks up to his boss in every aspect.
The strongest part of the film is the dialogues, which are simply mind-blowing in the film’s philosophy, drama and tension.
Unlike most of the Bangladeshi films, the film has not a single cliche sequence or dialogue; the utmost care taken to make the storyline polished and lithe has not gone unnoticed.
Vicky Zahed has set the story at the centre of the film, making it the prime focus. A thoroughly analysed script full of intriguing subtitles and a remarkable ending have made the film stand tall in the OTT original films arena.
