A scintillating story of love and friendship
With serene sea breezes, an infinite blue sky, and a dive into the aquamarine tranquillity, web film "Networker Baire" is inspired by a true incident, but the characters, their life stories, and the flow of events are shaped by the makers. The storyline, conceptualised by the director Mizanur Rahman Aryan himself, revolves around the journey of four recent graduates going for their first tour.
"Networker Baire", released on Chorki on August 19, is being lauded by the audience for its unique storytelling.
The film brings together the life of Ratul (Yash Rohan), Munna (Khairul Bashar), Abir (Sariful Islam Razz), and Sifat (Jonayed Bukdadi), their aspirations, their expectations, and their perceptions.
The multi-starrer production also casts Nazia Haque Orsha as Tania opposite Khairul Bashar, Tasnia Farin as Kotha opposite Jonayed Bukdadi, Nazifa Tushi as Samia opposite Sariful Islam Razz and Tasnuva Tisha. Each character, crafted as relatable young Dhaka dwellers, projects the struggles, challenges, and attitudes that we come across in our everyday life.
Starting from Ratul's struggle to build a career, Abir's melodramatic love life, Sifat the class topper's internal conflict to choose between a better lifestyle abroad and staying close to his family, and Munna's dream of becoming one of the biggest names in the music industry, this film brings together people from all walks of life, highlighting how each character entwines with each other and their emotions.
"I always wanted to have a cast that could capture the essence of four fresh graduates. I especially looked to cast actors who would realise the needs of each character's experiences, not just emotionally, but also in terms of physicality and gestures," says Mizanur Rahman Aryan to The Daily Star. "It took us a while, but we eventually found faces that suited my requirements."
The cast works in amazing harmony with the film characters as their postures, body language, and physical appearance radiates the playful, vivid nature of the youth.
Paired with amazing wide shots of the sea, the selection of unique locations, and realistic set designs, "Networker Baire" manages to take the audience as a part of this tour, relishing the enchanting beauty of nature while feeling the blemishes caused by its wrath.
"We shot for the film for 17 days between December 2020 and January 2021, when there was no lockdown," adds Aryan. "Our locations were very crowded. Moreover, we had to take some water shots in the sea, which required expertise and patience. However, everything fell into place perfectly."
While many opinions had surfaced on social media, foretelling that "Networker Baire" will be to some extent a remake of the famed Bollywood film, "Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara", the fans' perceptions were cleared with the release, especially the ending. Friendship, being a universal emotion, is inclusive to most cultures around the world, however, each story of friendship is unique and has its own course of flow – this is where this production hits aces.
While the film starts rather on a happy and casual note, the twist in the ending comes as a stuttering shock to the viewers, stimulating a sensitive and nostalgic experience. Constructed with a wonderful screenplay, jointly done by Mizanur Rahman Aryan and Zobaed Ahsan, and supported by Raju Raj's cinematography, "Networker Baire" is a worthwhile watch, especially for OTT lovers who look to real-life stories over reel-life films in Bangla.