Chokkor 302: Diamond in the rough

This has been a particularly festive Eid for the Bangladeshi film industry, we haven't seen four Bangla movies concurrently running full house shows over a week deep into the Eid holidays in a long, long time. 

Out of this rather entertaining bunch, 'Chokkor 302' can be dubbed the dark horse (if you are into labels, that is). The reason being, the other three are headlined by big-name movie stars, backed by established production houses, and feature bombastic action sequences and chartbuster songs. While Chokkor is a movie without any big-name 'star' made using the national film grant of Bangladesh, it's the engaging story that serves as the film's biggest draw.

This is where the dark horse label comes in–the other three had massive hype coming into the theatres and rightfully held onto that hype after delivering, Chokkor had little hype coming into theatres and is doing well thanks to the stellar word of mouth. 

So what is all the fuss about, anyway?

Debutant director Sharaf Ahmed has concocted a nifty little murder mystery in the form of 'Chokkor 302', a genre that does not grace our screens too often.

The movie, like most murder mysteries, opens with a…you guessed it— murder! 

After years of seeing government grants being squandered to make mediocre movies, 'Chokkor 302' is a breath of fresh air. Barring a few technical hitches and some growing pains that come with inexperience, the film can serve as a template for Bangla movies that wish to compete with the rest of the world.

A young man is found dead in an apartment where he was living under a false identity after a night of apparent debauchery; setting the stage for a complex investigation led by the police officer duo of Moinul (portrayed by Mosharraf Karim) and Sojib (played by Shashwat Dutta). What begins as a seemingly straightforward case soon reveals deeper conspiracies, entangling our protagonists in a web of intrigue and danger.

Mosharraf Karim's portrayal of Inspector Moinul is a standout, with his innate comic timing and depth breathing life into the character. Fans of 'Mohanagar' might look for similarities with his now iconic portrayal of Inspector Harun but other than working for the police there are few similarities between Moinul and Harun.

Mosharraf is the heart of the movie and whenever he is on screen, it is a hoot. His performance is the film's linchpin, elevating even some weaker sequences that might have suffered with a lesser actor at the helm. 

He is one of the finest actors we have and it is refreshing to see the veteran get material that does not bog him down. Credit for this is shared by Syed Gousul Alam Shaon and Nahid Hasnat for their mostly tight screenplay with few holes few and far between. Nahid Hasnat's dialogue is one of the crunchiest ever in a commercial Bangla movie. 

The opening banter between Moinul and his protégé Sojib simply hooks the audience in. There is a hint of the hit web series 'Kaiser' beloved for its sharp writing, in the dialogue of Chokkor especially the back and forth between characters, which I suspect we have Tanim Noor to thank for who pulled revision duties for the script.

Shashwat Dutta shares excellent chemistry with Mosharraf, and while performing alongside such a seasoned actor, he still manages to demand separate attention.

Sumon Anowar is another stand-out performer. His one-on-one scenes with Mosharraf are easily some of the most riveting parts of the movie. Too much cannot be said about his performance without delving into spoiler territory. 

The rest of the supporting cast also delivers, with Tarin, Mousumi Nag, Intekhab Dinar and Sarah Alam providing competent performances. 

However, Rawnak Hasan's Hasan Chowdhury feels like a bit of a miscast. Although he provides a compelling performance in the quieter moments, it is hard to imagine him as a bigshot movie star.

The trio of younger actors who are crucial to the main mystery of the movie Ahmed Golam Dosthogir Shan, Farzana Bushra, Arian Sarowar deliver natural performances.

Technically, 'Chokkor 302' impresses with Kamrul Hasan Khosru's cinematography, offering visually appealing frames that enhance the storytelling. Drone shots have been used sparingly and with good effect, lifting scenes that would have otherwise looked plain. The blocking and colour grading were also on point. The sound arrangement and dubbing quality are commendable, contributing to the atmospheric tension. 

However, the same cannot be said about the background score. It is, at times, excessive, taking away some of the narrative's depth. A lot of times, the BGM simply does not match the vibe of what is going on the screen, while at other points, it is way more intense than the action on the screen. 

For a movie that has shockingly tender moments for a commercial Bangla movie, these moments would have benefited from a little less BGM and a little more silence to really drive home the emotions. 

On the other hand, the songs composed by Emon Chowdhury, Jahid Nirob and Amit Chatterjee are used sparingly and with good effect. The most notable song, 'Kaowa Komola' penned by Razzak Dewan, composed by Emon Chowdhury and sung masterfully by Kazal Dewan, talks about the larger mysteries of life while subtly hinting at the mystery at hand. 

The editing could have been tighter, particularly in maintaining pace during certain subplots, involving Tarin, Mousumi Nag, Rawnak Hasan hindered the narrative's pace somewhat. Tarin's character is most guilty of this as she has very similar conversations multiple times. But these are minor quibbles in an otherwise solid technical package. 

After years of seeing government grants being squandered to make mediocre movies, 'Chokkor 302' is a breath of fresh air. Barring a few technical hitches and some growing pains that come with inexperience, the film can serve as a template for Bangla movies that wish to compete with the rest of the world.