With ample violence, gore, crime, twists and turns and quirky characters on the serving, garnished with liberal doses of black comedy, you wouldn’t expect Bhaggyolokkhi to be a Mainak Bhaumik film. But, it is indeed, and the director owns his foray into darkness with aplomb. With him being known for coming-of-age and slice-of-life films, and also for his later foray into family dramas, Bhaggyolokkhi is basically Mainak Bhowmik 3.0, with the filmmaker going beyond his comfort zone to push the audiences out of their comfort zones. It is difficult to classify this film under a single genre. It’s best to call it a dark caper story.

The film focuses on a quintessential middle-class married couple, played to perfection by Ritwick Chakraborty and Solanki Roy. The couple’s mundane, yet highly relatable life gets a jolt of excitement as they end up getting a bag full of cash. This money can solve all their financial problems and can set them up for life. But, the catch is that it comes attached with a dead body. As the couple tries to get rid of the corpse and keep the cash for themselves, different parties start sniffing around looking for the bag. What follows is a roller-coaster ride full of suspense and intrigue. The mysterious bag is hunted by multiple people, which leads to a wide range of interesting characters crossing paths. This includes an honest, strict cop on the trail of the money, played by Sujan Neel Mukherjee. There’s also a slimy corrupt cop played by Subrat Dutta.

Loknath Dey, who has become a staple in almost every good film or series that comes out these days, plays a gangster. Swastika Dutta plays a TV actor and aces quite a few funny moments. Judhajit Sarkar and Debopriyo Mukherjee play Laal and Neel, two stoic assassins, and have a lot of fun with their characters. Ananya Das is superb as the silent and unexpected strong arm. Overall, the performances are brilliant and help to keep the story on the edge at all times.

The film has a simplistic story but keeps audiences hooked through its constant build-up of tension and suspense. You will be concerned about the couple played by Ritwick Chakraborty and Solanki Roy and feel that they can get caught or killed at any moment. This successfully creates a sense of anxiety. Also, the super cool and quirky characters create a stylised, comic book-like feel, which gives the film a fresh energy. With the mash-up of the highly realistic and relatable characters of Ritwick Chakraborty and Solanki Roy, and the stylised characters of the bad guys, the film brings two worlds together seamlessly and creates a highly entertaining mix of energies.

There are multiple dark, violent scenes which are made lighter through irreverent black humour. Mainak Bhaumik is known for his sense of humour and he is arguably one of the finest dialogue writers of our times. His trademark quirk and style become evident through the film's superb dialogues. Also, the superb cast lands the jokes and gags effectively due to their perfect comic timings. Ritwick Chakrobarty’s laid-back, casual approach to humour is complemented efficiently by Solanki’s deadpan style.

There are elements that would remind you of a Tarantino film or an episode of Breaking Bad, but it is like a breath of fresh air to see this pattern of storytelling in Bengal. The sequences featuring the couple trying to get out of the twisted mess they have put themselves in are thrilling and funny at the same time. The balance between suspense and humour in these sequences is the highlight of the film. Watch out for a scene where an irritated neighbour comes to the couple’s doorstep thinking they are having a midnight feast. Nail-biting yet hilarious, this sequence is sure to bring the house down.

The film also uses locations and atmospherics effectively to create a sense of tension. Calcutta and its streets and alleys have been presented in a neo-noirish, moody way, adding to the cinematic experience, and drawing audiences into the dark world of Bhaggyolokkhi. Subhadeep Naskar’s cinematography makes familiar locations look claustrophobic, adding to the tension. Sumit Chowdhury’s crisp edit makes the narrative stylised and fast-paced.

However, with so much going for it, there are some minor issues with the film as well. With such great characters and build-up, one would expect a larger-than-life, complex climax. But then again, I guess the anti-climactic nature of the climax is itself a twist related to the audience’s expectations. Also, the motivations and actions of certain characters like the assassins Laal and Neel are a bit unclear in a few moments near the climax. For example, when a certain murder happens, the duo decides to leave the body in the murder location and flee, instead of waiting there for another involved party to arrive. But these are negligible aspects which are in no way a barrier to enjoying the thrilling ride that is Bhaggyolokkhi. Hats off to the producers Nandy Movies for backing something this quirky and different.

Now coming back to the filmmaker. We have all grown up watching Mainak Bhaumik’s films. His youthful vibe, sardonic humour and detached POV gave us a very unique perspective of the new-age Bengali life (or should I say Bong!), stuck somewhere between globalised, modern sensibilities and age-old traditions. His family dramas too retained his trademark quirk and humour. Now, his third coming is highly welcome, as a unique voice exploring new shades.