For a Bangladeshi film, one of the most desirable scenarios would be having a longer run at the theatre. 'Poran', directed by Raihan Rafi and produced by Live Technologies, released on Eid-ul Azha, has found a firm ground in the theatres.
The film is, despite the makers saying otherwise, inspired by the Minni-Rifat-Nayan Bond incident.
After looking for a ticket for five days, securing one at the Sony Cineplex Mirpur was refreshing. And finding the hall housefull at the morning show was pleasantly surprising.
The film depicts a triangle love story between a small town girl Ananya, a local political ruffian Roman and the brightest student of the university Sifat.
Ananya, played by Bidya Sinha Saha Mim, is a not-so-bright college student who has failed to pass the exam three times, and her parents are really worried about her future.
Her suitor Roman, played by Sariful Razz, is the strongman of the local politician Daisy Sarkar, played by Rosey Siddiqui, who uses him to suppress her opponents and keep the people in line.
Roman is ruthless, murderous and brutal, and he desires Ananya at all costs. So he keeps harassing her to the point that she decides to quit college. Later, he helps her to pass the exams, and she falls for him, or so he thinks.
She goes to the university where she develops an attraction toward the top student of the class Sifat, played by Yash Rohan, who at first refuses to respond to her advances. However, he soon gives in and now a love triangle is in bloom, and so is the tension and conflict of the hearts. What follows next is a bloody tale of heartbreak, betrayal, and broken promises.
Mim has given her best to her role in this film. Her emotions, confusion, and inability to take hard decisions are pictured perfectly. She had not the best treatment per se, as her character arc may have been given a more subtlety, nonetheless, she has exceeded popular expectations with her performance.
Yash Rohan has shone a little dimmer than the rest of the main cast, however, his character has been the most relatable one in the film.
And the star of the show is Sariful Razz. A brutal, hardcore political muscleman and a hopeless lover - Razz has donned the two completely different sides of the character with perfection.
And how he transitioned into a desperate lover who just wants the girl to accept him has been smooth. Razz’s performance has been perhaps one of the best performances in Dhallywood this year so far.
Three other actors have been phenomenal in the film - Nasiruddin in the role of the cynical Sub Inspector, whose punchlines never missed their marks, and Rashed Mamun Apu in the role of Tojo, Roman’s childhood friend and sidekick who played the ‘joker’ of the film perfectly. Rosey Siddiqui has once again impressed the audience with her portrayal of Daisy Sarkar, who represents all that is wrong with our political system.
The film, despite all its merits, is not perfect. The most jarring and shocking (in a negative way) has been its treatment of its ending.
The film has proven once again that not all shocking twists are good and necessary, and sometimes the predictable endings are the most suitable ones.
The colour grading and editing have not been smooth in a few scenes. And the last thirty minutes have been too fast, undoing much of the slow, but the well-developed pace of the first one hundred and fifty minutes of the plot.
Apart from that, the film has left a mark on the audience's hearts. The songs have been amazing, especially the title track ‘Jolere Poran’ by A P Shuvo and the ‘Sajiye Gujiye De More,’ a popular song adapted for the film. The background music has been impactful as well.
Overall, the film has been a good cinematic experience, and the way the audience has welcomed the film bids hope for our film industry.
shadique.mahbub.islam@gmail.com