Tollywood actor Ankush’s debut venture as producer, Mirza: Part 1-Joker, narrowly escapes falling into the category of potboiler action films around drugs and crime lords, thanks to director duo Sumeet and Saahil who manage to keep it engaging for most part of the film’s 160-minute runtime.

Mirza begins in Kolkata amidst the rise of a new drug named Chill Pill. Kaustav Sen (Rishi Kaushik), a seasoned officer at the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), has been assigned the task of bringing the key figures behind the drug trade to book. As he digs deep into this illicit business, Kaustav learns that the drug smuggling racket is run by three kingpins — Sultan (Kaushik Ganguly), his son Azhar (Shoaib Kabeer), and Mirza (Ankush Hazra). As Kaustav cracks the whip and chases the trio, a series of flashbacks takes us through Mirza’s rise through the ranks in drug peddling and Animesh Ghorui’s camera captures the allure of the murky underworld.

With a swagger that matches his beard-and-glasses look — a clear influence of Shah Rukh Khan from Raees — Ankush lives up to the title role, showcasing his capacity for both comic timing and well-executed action. While Kaushik Ganguly is effortless as the ruthless Sultan, Shoaib Kabeer is particularly impressive as the hot-headed second-in-command drug lord.

But the one who stands out is Oindrila Sen as Muskaan, a fisherwoman who Mirza falls in love with at first sight. No one messes with Muskaan and she is no eye-candy who dances around trees with the hero. Oindrila also shows off her action skills, specially in the climax.

Mirza has the feel of ’90s action dramas where the protagonist might be smart and unbeatable but is yet relatable and not larger-than-life. The film tends to lose its grip in the second half when logical consistency takes a backseat at times.

The film ends with the prospect of a sequel, Mirza 2: Tiger, with a Tollywood A-lister slated to play the villain. Let’s hope the writing is tighter and the runtime is shorter next time.