Surongo, the frenzied craze of 2023 brings renewed hope and belief to Bangladeshi Film Industry. The long-awaited silver screen debut of Bangla Natok’s (Drama) ‘Boss’ Afran Nisho has the fans buzzing with excitement and zeal. Fans from his hometown have even gone on to open a makeshift theater for the screening of Surongo, that is how much the film is being crazed over. Released on 29 June, Surongo has gone on to gross BDT 20 million in the past two weeks according to the Box Office.
Surongo has been the cause of much hype since the inauguration ceremony held on February 28. Moviegoers started gossiping and clamoring over the upcoming Raihan Rafi film, especially since his previous two works ‘Poran’ & ‘Damal’ were blockbusters. While the involvement of Chorki in the production process has only contributed to increasing the hype.
Rafi has been secretive about Surongo before the release, insisting he would prefer the audience enjoy the whole treat in theaters where the dish served will feel like a delicacy. He even made a dialogue-less teaser accompanied only by cut-scenes and music calling it ‘Purbavash’; no other teaser or trailer was released. The mysterious secrecy worked fairly in favor of the film as people are going in droves to watch Surongo.
Surongo, Bangla Cinema’s Radiant Hope
The hype around Surongo is well justified as the movie is one of the best Bangladeshi films in recent years. From plot to storytelling, acting to character development, cinematography to music, and costumes to set-making everything felt like a lot of planning, preparation and hard work went down. Although there are some downsides Surongo is most definitely a treat for moviegoers.
The thrilling and engaging plot introduces us to Masud, an electrician from a small village who falls head over heels for Moyna at first sight. They get married and start a beautiful little family but the happiness doesn’t last long. Moyna slowly turns out to be your typical gold-digger and eventually forces Masud to go abroad for work. Then in his absence, Moyna engages in adultery and eventually elopes. A simple and common story so far but what unfolds after that is like a rollercoaster ride. Watch Surongo if you’re curious about the rest!
Afran Nisho portrayed Masud with such perfection that the character felt real and relatable. He has been an amazing actor throughout his career but a debut on the big screen made room for doubts. However, Nisho proved the doubters wrong and put on a stellar performance. As for Toma Mirza, her acting was spot-on to the point that the audience ended up hating Moyna with disgust as the character deserved. Mostafa Monwar also acted brilliantly and made the Jahir character his own.
The biggest strength of Surongo became its’ cinematography, set design, and music. The most critical aspect of cinematography is framing and Sumon Sarker was flawless in this regard. The set design made me amazed with admiration. The opening act set looked so beautiful and soothing to the eyes. Then there was the ‘Surongo’ (Tunnel) set that mesmerized me and made me realize the progress of Bangla Cinema. ‘Ga Chuye Bolo’, the song that made us hum subconsciously is mind-blowing in all three versions.
Apart from all these more defined things, there was one profound aspect that caught my eye and I cannot forget it. The Police Officer with a chatgaiya accent and funnily distinct voice calling ‘Kamruzzamaaaan’ is the ‘Scene Stealer’ for me. Shahiduzzaman Selim brought about a surprise yet welcome comic relief in this seemingly serious story. He made us laugh with his every dialogue and every action. Watching Selim in Surongo is the cause of ultimate joy.
Controversies, Reception & Climax
Even after being such a blockbuster, Surongo is wrought with controversies. Prarthana Fardin Dighi claimed to be cast in the film and then replaced by Toma Mirza. Dighi alleged to be the victim of a syndicate that supposedly runs the film industry. Raihan Rafi refuted these allegations as unfounded accusations and confessed that there were actually verbal talks with the actress but nothing was signed.
The mysteries around Surongo were actually put to the gallows by Rafi himself when the first look video was released it was evident to all that the film’s plot is based on the 2014 bank robbery incident. Rafi did not answer this question clearly as if he was still bent on that mysterious secrecy. There were accusations about the background music of the trailer with rumors hinting at plagiarism. However, according to Rafi, the license was purchased by Alpha-i.
A section of the audience criticized the adult scenes and curses used in the dialogues. They were furious with the development citing that these scenes were inappropriate for Bangladeshi Culture. Well, for me personally I do not think there was anything wrong with the scenes. They were necessary for the story and actually a fitting addition. Rafi defended the scenes explaining the need of them for a consistent plot. The film was given an uncut certificate from Censor Board which proves the scenes are not objectionable.
The reception of Surongo can be described as very promising. The film has been released in 28 theaters in Bangladesh. The crime thriller has also been released and still playing in Australia, Canada, India, and the USA. Audiences from all these places have been singing praises of the movie. Despite having some plot holes and a lack of an escape scene in the prison sequence Surongo is an enjoyable watch. According to film critic Ahsan Kabir, the film is, “a different version of Raihan Rafi’s ‘Poran’. But the scenes are exciting and enjoyable enough.”
Surongo has its’ pros and cons. With the controversies and some innate weaknesses, it could have been a disaster. However, the climax of this amazing film negates all the cons and weaknesses. During the final stages of the screen time, I was becoming rather frustrated as the ending was heading to become a most disappointing one. Boy oh boy, I couldn’t be more wrong and the climax I witnessed blew me away. Let me explain, “A most satisfying tragic revenge moment in the history of cinema!”
Should You Watch Surongo?!!
Surongo is the dream project of Raihan Rafi and he wanted to work on it even before ‘Poran’. The talented director finally realized his dream after getting sponsors with significant funding. Although the film can be compared to his other work ‘Poran’ with distinctly visible similarities in one aspect, Surongo is a most enjoyable watch.
Rafi has cared for this project just like caring for an adorable child. “The story of ‘Surongo’ is really special to me. I wanted to direct this movie for a long time but I had some limitations as I couldn’t make it without the help of strong producers. Fortunately, I now have two big producers who understand my vision properly.” — He said to The Daily Star.
Apart from the care given by the director and crew, you will definitely love watching Afran Nisho on screen. His boundless charisma and flamboyant presence will make you gasp in awe. And Toma Mirza will mesmerize and disgust you at the same time with her effortless performance. With all these in mind, you should definitely go and watch Surongo. On another note, check out my review on Adipurush!
