Dard

After the brilliance of Toofan, expectations for Dard (2024) were naturally sky-high. Unfortunately, the movie doesn't come close to delivering. Directed by Anonno Mamun, it feels like a rushed project with lackluster execution across most areas.

While Shakib Khan's performance is, as always, commendable and the plot had some potential, the rest falls flat. The casting feels uninspired, the cinematography and color grading are dull, and the script is riddled with clichés and glaring plot holes. It's an odd mix of typical Dhallywood melodrama with hints of Tollywood flair, but the execution lacks polish.

Despite Shakib Khan's best efforts to elevate the movie, Dard is ultimately a letdown. If you're a die-hard fan, it might be worth a watch for him alone, but otherwise, it's skippable.

Rating: 4/10.

🎬 Film Review: Dard (2024) Genre: Psychological Thriller No Spoilers

A doctor and a superstar actor are murdered in the city. Is Dulu Mia responsible, or is someone else behind it? To find out, you need to watch Dard.

Expectations from a Shakib Khan movie are typically low. Criticizing his work often invites unpleasant backlash, and even mentioning that you've watched his films may provoke ridicule. Moreover, the controversial director Anonno Mamun is known for creating more buzz than delivering results. While Shakib Khan has been striving to deliver cleaner films since last year, Anonno Mamun's filmography is almost devoid of hits. With this combination, I had no intention of watching this movie. But after watching it, I realized I had been wrong.

✅ Positives:

1. Shakib Khan's brilliant performance in a psycho role - He is evolving, carefully selecting scripts, which is commendable. While he was once criticized for poor-quality films and acting, his efforts to redefine his career deserve applause. His chemistry with Sonal Chauhan is lively, and the emotional scenes are well-executed.

2. A unique concept for Bangladeshi cinema - To my knowledge, this kind of storyline is unprecedented in the industry, and the trailer didn't give much away. The overall plot was quite engaging.

3. A fast-paced screenplay - The narrative never drags or feels stretched unnecessarily, ensuring you're not bored at any point.

4. Background music and cinematography - While the BGM is slightly loud, it effectively sets a thrilling atmosphere. The location in Varanasi and the cinematography stand out. Additionally, Imran's song is the only one that truly touched my heart.

⛔ Negatives:

1. Predictability - The film becomes too predictable, especially for viewers accustomed to watching thrillers. They'll likely figure out everything from the start.

2. Weak dialogue in romantic scenes - While the performances make up for it, the romantic portions could have benefitted from better writing.

3. Over-the-top comedy and villain portrayal - Some of Shakib's comedic scenes feel a bit loud, though not unbearable. The negative characters could have been more distinct to deliver a stronger impact.

4. Underwhelming climax twist - The twist in the climax could have been presented better. The director attempts to leave some aspects unexplained but ends up making it feel incomplete.

Final Thoughts:

Judging films solely by their box office performance is unfair. This movie is clearly targeted at a classy audience, not Shakib Khan's typical fanbase, who may not appreciate it. Neutral viewers, however, might expect a more polished screenplay. The lack of effective promotion, a non-festive release, and Anonno Mamun's marketing missteps could lead to its commercial failure.

Overall, Dard felt like a reasonably good movie. The most surprising elements were Shakib Khan's impressive acting and Anonno Mamun's unexpectedly enjoyable direction. With a more refined screenplay, the twists could have been genuinely surprising.

First time i watched ananno manum's directed film......his direction was good and the polt twist i got in theatre was just unprecedented and emotional.... First half was slow but 2nd half recovered this....khan's acting skill is just superb.... His transformation was just wow i won't tell here what transformed :) and sonal chauhan's acting was good..... Background music was moderate but sometimes it was good to me.....but i really disappointed with music that is dubbed from hindi version... Hindi version song was good but Bangla was not good enough it could be better.... I think mamun should bring a sequel....

This obviously proofs one point that doom is right upon us. The dialogue, acting performance, elements were poorly executed. Visuals effects, color depth, looks backward. Set pieces feels unrealistic. Story has no major plotpoint its underwritten. The filmmakers, screeners & production is only to be blamed. Because, of their ignorance & inexperience bd cinema is near its extinction.

Number of cinema halls & Stars are insufficient. Most of them lacking dance, acting, appearances & figure compare to Bollywood. They're just here for the paycheck & don't care if their film performance or creating aware There busy making headlines of their controversies, remarriage & divorce. And film industry dont even hire & search for new talents from the society or general public. Look around even Nezha 2, Pushpa 2 both burnt their pre existing box office records & created their own record in global. Also War 2 & Avatar 3 even making news when its far from release.

Now where are we & what we have to complete. Furthermore, law & certification is hindering process of creativity & making. Method of giving rating & approval by content according to the age should be followed. Industry insiders must address this issue properly before its too late.

Masterpiece

A perfect romantic thriller 9/10

Shakib Khan single handedly carried the whole movie. The BGM of the movie was awesome. Camera work, editing is very good. The sad version song of the movie is the most beautiful. Shakib Khan has shown great acting skills as a psychopath. Shakib Khan is playing with the character in the whole movie. The moments of crying and psycho laughter in the same scene were great. The last scene proved once again how great Shakib Khan's acting skills are.

Director Ananya Mamun is presenting Shakib Khan as an actor rather than Heroism. The making of this movie is much better than any previous movie of Anonno Mamun.

Sonal Chauhan and Shakib Khan's chemistry was great. Even though dubbing, his performance is excellent. Seeing her chemistry with Shakib Khan, it seemed that they would have paired up in many more movies. It was nice to see the two on screen. Everyone has done well including Rahul Dev, Rajesh Sharma, Payal Sarkar.

If we talk about the weak side of the movie, it would have been better if the runtime had been shortened by excluding the slow first half and some other unnecessary things of the movie. Instead, they could have given another romantic song.

All in all Dorod is a great Bangladeshi movie. Someone in Bangla cinema has dared to make such a psychopath-romantic genre movie, director Anonno Mamun deserves a big thank you.