Pressure Cooker: A novel recipe, left undercooked

It is a rare phenomenon in the Bangladeshi film industry to choose a female-centred narrative for a commercial film. So, with a dash of scepticism, I went to the theatre to give this movie a shot. And honestly, this film has left me pleasantly surprised– the craftsmanship and thought process that went behind the making is a credible proof of Rafi's prowess. He steered away from the conventional formulas and attempted to create something that was grounded and mirrored social reality. 

The film strives to expose the reality of being a woman in a city that pressures and moulds them until they have been completely disfigured into someone less than a shadow of their previous self. The film predominantly revolves around the life of Reshma, played by Nazifa Tushi, who is a masseuse at a local parlour. In a city run by power and money, her innocence and moral high ground are constantly challenged as circumstances threaten her existence. 

She refuses to give in till that option no longer exists on the plate. As the pressure metamorphoses, although she momentarily finds happiness, the hollowness of this city soon engulfs her. She is inevitably trapped, and the only way she can move forward is by letting the city take charge. The film beautifully juxtaposes innocence and experience. 

Not only Reshma, but the audience witnessed other female characters such as Azmeri or Ananna's transformation, and all of it felt uniquely organic. The female characters represented here had layers and complexity. They were constantly pushed to the edge, but each in their individual way was resolute, even though in the process, they became someone they despised. The way female characters and societal evil were explored and handled deserves much praise.

Nazifa Tushi has simply outdone herself with this movie. She carried the entire narrative on her back and was a visual treat to watch. A female-centred narrative would not have worked if the actresses did not deliver, and Nazifa Tushi did more than that. Even though her dialect felt a little forced at times, her performance will be revered for the longest time. 

Not only her, but all of the cast excelled at their designated role. Fazlur Rahman Babu, as the inspector, was a personal favourite; he portrayed the most diabolically evil character with such finesse– anyone is bound to be in awe with every delivery of his. In the theatre, the audience gasped the most during his screen time, and that itself explains it all. 

However, it would be unfair not to mention the praiseworthy performances of other female characters played by Shabnam Bubly, Mariya Shanto, and Snigdha Chowdhury. The other supporting male roles, including Mishwa Shawdagor, Azizul Hakim, Shahiduzzaman Selim, and Chanchal Chowdhury, managed to diffuse their own essence, adding more dimension to the film and elevating the entire experience. 

Generally, Hyperlink cinemas are always a hit or a miss. Tying multiple storylines and different characters with one theme is no easy feat. Pressure Cooker is messy, chaotic, and may sometimes feel a little disjointed, especially in the first two parts. The story was not executed in the most delicate way, as there were quite a few frayed ends. Some of the catchphrases and comic timing were done splendidly, but the overall dialogue quality was pretty average. A few camera angles felt simply weird, especially the way the parlour scenes were filmed. But the irony of this film is unmatched. 

However, this movie has some of the most stunning visuals, especially when they use rural backdrops, to juxtapose the chaotic city scenes. Perhaps the most impactful one was the opening scene where a child is standing in a mustard flower field, where many black burkha-clad women are sparsely scattered like scarecrows. The contrast and connotation were simply mind-boggling as it beautifully ties to the ending scene.

In contrast to that, some of the scenes tried too hard to reinforce certain ideas that it felt inorganic. The explicit scenes were definitely in context, but weren't executed with artistic care, so they may prove uncomfortable for many. The dubbing needs work, as some of the dialogues did not lip sync, and the editing was not handled with finesse, as the transition from one scene to another felt choppy, which downgraded the experience. 

However, this film is brave in its approach; even with all its flaws, it deserves all the praise for what it stands out to be. It is not only a filmmaker's responsibility to construct stories that reflect our reality; stories that leave a mark on you long after you watch them. We, as the audience, have a responsibility to support films that break away from convention and seek to create a benchmark. If we want our film industry to progress, we should be watching films that take a step towards it. 

This is not a light, entertaining watch, as the movie will feel heavy and require time to process. This is also not a movie you can watch with your family in theatres, as it deals with an increasing amount of explicit scenes and adult themes. But this film is worth the three hours and money you would be spending.

Pressure Cooker, with all its shortcomings, stands as a hope for more experimental films to come, and I hope the audience understands the significance of the shift in the Bangladeshi film industry and appreciates it.