Released Date : 23 Jul, 2023
Avg. User's Rating : 4.0/5
Raihan Rafi's 'Surango' is the latest Bangladeshi thriller-drama to hit the screens, starring Afran Nisho (of Kaiser and Syndicate fame) and Toma Mirza. After marrying Maina (Mirza), Masood (Nisho) finds out that she has a habit of asking for money and gifts. He tries to comply with her demands, but soon after, she finds a contact with him through whom he goes to Malaysia for work. Meanwhile, Masud's friend Zaheer (Mustafa Manwar) starts chasing Maina and buys expensive gifts to woo her. Lonely and friendless, Maina surrenders and they begin a relationship.
Soon after, Maina moves in with Zaheer, and starts living with him. To win over Maina and earn a lot of money, Masood decides to dig a tunnel to rob a bank. The plot has a lot of holes in the premise and leaves the audience with many questions (for example, how Masood can carry out this plan). However, the director's single-mindedness in creating one-dimensional characters is perhaps the film's biggest flaw.
Masood's trajectory is given room to expand but the screenplay was not for Maina. The director seemed pretty hell-bent on making him, and Artha, the root of all evil. This is similar to the treatment given to Mehbaur Rahman Suman's Hawaay Gulati (Nazifa Tushi), where her character was portrayed as a 'troublemaker'.
Mirza's chemistry with Nisho and Manwar is different but she plays it well and it makes her relatable. Her strong acting and expressive eyes can elicit sympathy from the audience.
In the second half, Shahiduzzaman Selim's brief, intriguing role as the investigating officer steals the frame. However, logic seems to elude the script at times and without Selim's presence it would probably have fallen flat on its face.
The film's music, composed by Sajid Sarkar and Eamon Chowdhury, has a few mellow tunes like "Ga Chuye Bol". But Nusrat Faria's item number feels more like a filler. Suman Sarkar's cinematography captures some beautiful frames, especially in low light. And despite the plot issues, Surongo is definitely an interesting watch.
