Khachar Bhitor Ochin Pakhi: A nuanced political thriller

A dark gloomy room with just thin strings of light peeping through rusty, almost dust blocked window panes and an unconscious girl lying helplessly on a rugged muddy floor – this is how Raihan Rafi's debut full-length web-film,"Khachar Bhitor Ochin Pakhi" opens up to the audience on Chorki.

Starring National Award winning actors Fazlur Rahman Babu and Tama Mirza, the Chorki original production revolves around themes like politics, terrorism, struggle to survive, betrayal and revenge.

The poster and the trailer of the film created a buzz among cine-lovers as soon as the teaser, followed by the poster and trailer appeared on social media. The Facebook walls of the cast and crew soon started brimming with praises after its release on October 21.

"I believe, the audience initially expected 'Khachar Bhitor Ochin Pakhi' to be a survival thriller but this expectations. However, I am happy that we successfully ended up pleasantly surprising them rather than disappointing them," shares director Raihan Rafi.

A straight-panned camera, slowly dropping, capturing first a dim, foggy, broken factory, then a board that reads "No entry without permission", slowly making way to Fazlur Rahman Babu and Tama Mirza peeping out of old barren iron barrels—this teaser shot first managed to excite the audience, leading them to feel the same thrill and anxiety that the chained characters were experiencing.

Upon release, the cinematographer Sheikh Rajibul Islam's work is being widely appreciated by the spectators. "The story needs needed a gloomy and slow yet exciting and thrilling ambience and we felt that the single take shots only added more sincerity to the projection of struggle by the characters," he shares.

Sumon Anwar's spontaneity while masterfully depicting an untrustworthy leader, also manages to leave a mark alongside Fazlur Rahman Babu's naturally portrayed intensity and Tama Mirza's anxiety. With Nasir Uddin Khan's subtle yet natural comic timing, the audience also gets the scope to laugh a little amongst the gruesome political plot.

"The biggest success for me as a film maker is when my spectators advertise my work and this is what I got to experience after this project started streaming," shares Raihan Rafi.

Overall, "Khachar Bhitor Ochin Pakhi" looks to recreate a sense of belonging for its audience, as the viewers are no strangers to the contemporary themes and the political crux the production looks to showcase, which makes it a worthwhile watch for this season indeed.