Toofan: Could have been stormier

Before moving into the thick of things, let's discuss the elephant in the room.

When the teaser for Toofan dropped, speculation rose about whether the film was copied or inspired by the Indian films KGF or 'Animal'. These doubts were shared by many. 

Prepared for the worst, it was a relief to find that 'Toofan' is not a direct copy. Rather, it offers a fresh spin on the gangster action genre, though some might debate whether anything new can be created in this genre.

While there are indeed inspirations taken from various Indian films, this should be overlooked. Ultimately, Toofan turned out to be a fun, albeit dumb, ride. 

Toofan has unquestionably emerged as the biggest film of the year so far, fueled by immense hype. Directed by Raihan Rafi, one of the industry's consistently successful filmmakers, the movie features Shakib Khan, arguably the last of the Bangladeshi superstars. 

Reports suggest that seats are fully booked for the next seven days, driven by the excellent promotional materials, including teasers, trailers and songs, which have captivated audiences. The festive atmosphere at Star Cineplex would delight any Bangla film enthusiast.

During the promotion, director Rafi mentioned that he took inspiration from the life of a real-life Bangladeshi gangster. However, this does not seem to be the case. If he had truly based the film on a real gangster's life, it might have been better.

This film was like a litmus test for him. There was no ready-made story for the film unlike his recent films Paran, Damal, Surongo. So the story had to rely on the director and the scriptwriter. Here, the story has fallen flat. 

First, let's talk about the good bits. 

Good storm

Toofan is a film meant for pure entertainment, inviting viewers to suspend logic for 145 minutes of shiny, glittery spectacle. Galib Bin Goni, played by Shakib, witnesses his activist father's murder by a local leader and, at just 15 years old, exacts immediate revenge by beheading him. Taken in by local gangster Bashir Bhai, Galib enters the world of crime and eventually becomes Bashir's top henchman. 

As he grows older, Galib eventually kills his boss, starts his crime syndicate, forms a puppet government, and extends his influence nationwide. An aspiring junior actor named Shanto gets caught up in Ghalib's grand scheme. After the film, viewers may find themselves scratching their heads as reality sets back in.

A big-scale gangster action film has a few checklists, like larger-than-life heroes, grandiose dialogues, beautiful femme fatales, gunfights, dirty politics etc. Toofan ticked all the boxes.

Raihan Rafi has shown his brilliance in direction once again. Certain drone shots and close-ups were interesting. The colour grading of the film was fantastic. The contrast and use of shadow to highlight certain scenes were done quite well. The background score was intense and apt.

Shakib Khan impressed everyone with his dedication and acting. At times, he was overacting, and it felt cringe, but he gave 100% to the movie, and it shows. 

Kolkata's Mimi Chakraborty was as fabulous as Suchona. She dazzled us all with her charms. Masuma Rahman Nabila had a good chemistry with Shakib, even though at times, her accent was off-putting. 

And words will once again fall short of justifying Chanchal Chowdhury's performance. He stole the film from the moment he appeared on screen. He was impeccable, to say the least. 

The supporting cast, including Fazlur Rahman Babu, Misha Sawdagor, Salahuddin Lavlu, Gazi Rakayet, Shahiduzzaman Salim, Suman Anwar, and Loknath Dey, all delivered commendable performances. 

Gazi Rakayet particularly stood out. Unfortunately, Salahuddin Lavlu and Suman Anwar had limited screen time. Adnan Adeeb Khan, playing the bumbling filmster Raj, provided plenty of laughs.

All the songs in the movie were well-received and well-placed. The one-take shot was executed skillfully. The action sequences were slick and well-timed, with seamless editing. Shakib Khan particularly excelled in the combat scenes.

Now come the weaker parts.

Bad storm

The film lacks coherence entirely. This is why it's advisable to switch off your brain before watching it; keeping it on will lead to questioning the plot. The storyline is loosely held together, and the set, resembling a toy house, doesn't capture the essence of 1990s Dhaka — unsurprisingly, as it was filmed on a set in Hyderabad, which sometimes feels jarring.

The accents were inconsistent, with characters occasionally slipping into either a Kolkata accent or a modern-day Bangladeshi local accent. Some characters failed to convincingly portray people from the 1990s, resulting in a confusing blend of Kolkata and Dhaka urban accents.

Moreover, the way some characters dressed was inaccurate, with Shakib at times resembling a hero from the 2010s. Overall, the film's atmosphere often fails to represent the intended era. This is disappointing, considering Raihan Rafi successfully captured the feel of 1960s-1970s Dhaka in Damal.

Another off-putting aspect was the set design. It was clear that it was made of cardboard, giving it a dollhouse-like appearance, especially in the colony scenes. The film felt as though it was made by someone with an imagined version of 1990s Kolkata, not Dhaka, with nothing in the film genuinely resembling Dhaka.

Raihan Rafi's stories usually stand out because they feel like our own local tales, drawing inspiration from various thrilling incidents in the country. His films typically feature core emotions and strong character development. However, this time, the plot is riddled with holes like Swiss cheese, and the screenplay has lost some of its sharpness.

In an attempt to showcase action and dialogue, character development was neglected. The movie could have benefited from being 15-20 minutes longer to help build an emotional connection with the characters.

The film's purpose is unclear, with the characters' motivations not well-defined and no clear conflict. There is a rushed, ADHD-inducing pace throughout the film, which is only salvaged by Shakib Khan's charisma.

The most disappointing aspect is that Raihan Rafi is becoming predictable. From Poran to Toofan, his films follow a similar pattern, making the final plot twist easily foreseeable.

Despite its flaws, Toofan is exactly the kind of film our struggling industry needs. Such films generate buzz and attract diverse audiences. To revive our industry, we need more mass entertainers like Toofan.