Chok the Maze: Cinematic's latest web thriller is a mixture of intrigue, twist and clichés

What would you do if you found yourself in a situation where you accidentally murdered someone to protect a pregnant girl who turns out to be a drug dealer herself?

This is the premise the recent webfilm "Chok - The Maze", by OTT platform Cinematic, throws the protagonist Ashraf Babu into. Babu, played by renowned musician and actor Tahsan Khan, finds himself in this bizarre situation one night while working as a waiter in a nightclub. 

To make matters worse, the girl Babu tries to protect turns out to be a drug smuggler herself, embroiled in multiple illegal businesses and crimes.

Yet, to escape the consequences of his actions, Babu tries to flee. The girl - Koli, addressed as "Queen" by her fellow gang members - promises Babu safe passage to India if he agrees to act as per her commands. But the plot thickens and pushes the puzzled protagonist into further trouble.

The murdered body of the drug dealer back at the club creates quite a stir among many, including the police and a local gang - all of whom begin to look for the mysterious girl and the fugitive club waiter.

As the chase continues, Babu and Koli flee to a local hotel to spend the night and prepare an escape plan for crossing into India. The story progresses with what can be regarded as an intimate and romantic scene between the duo, which I must admit seemed a bit awkward and rushed. 

The plot picks up pace in the second half of its hundred minute run and some of the plot points get explained. The chase comes to a head with the story finally ending in a twist. 

Though the film explains a few of the mysteries, it leaves a lot for the audience to guess or assume. Apart from the twists and surprises, the ending scene also generates multiple questions igniting speculation about a potential sequel.

Though the story was an interesting one with a fairly well-reputed cast, its execution was far from perfect. I would say the weakest point of "Chok" is its screenplay. With some of its unrealistic scenarios, paired with the boring and linear storytelling at times, the movie lacks the ability to keep the audience hooked throughout the run of the film. 

The dialogues were also less than perfect and could certainly be improved. 

The acting was, hands down, the best part of the film. Tahsan's portrayal of Babu - a young boy who came to Dhaka with a lot of dreams, only to be shattered by the realities of life - was quite good. As was Orchita Sporshia's portrayal of Koli - the urban drug smuggler with a lot of tricks up her sleeves. 

The background score, though not a masterpiece, was certainly one of the good sides of "Chok". 

Mahmudul Hasan Romance, the music director of the film, should be commended for his efforts as the songs and the background music used in this thriller certainly complemented the film. 

Supporting characters played by Iqbal Hossain, Deepak Sumon, Shahriar Ferdous and others were entertaining as well.

"Chok" also tries to leave out the much used clichés and tropes that have been regular features in Bangladeshi and Indian thrillers involving drug smuggling gangs, but has not been completely successful. 

The presence of foul mouthed hyper-active gang members whose actions are sometimes unrealistic, as well as the plot holes that are hard to explain, was felt strongly.

The film does not explore any characters deeply, which leaves the audience wanting more but it can be argued that some scenes are intentionally kept discrete for the final surprise at the end of the film. 

Interestingly, Tahsan's portrayal of Ashraf Babu was convincing enough for me to root for him, even though his character as well as background, even at the end of the film, remains mostly unexplored.

The film, while having some negative aspects, does say something positive about its director Golam Sohrab Dodul's aspirations. 

The fact that Bengali filmmakers are trying to pull off thriller stories despite having numerous limitations, including, but not limited to, low budget and technical issues, is commendable. 

From the outset, it seems that the movie aimed high but fell short of what it wanted to accomplish. Nonetheless, it succeeded in creating a fun one and a half hour-long thriller with an interesting ending.

As "Chok - The Maze" closes with multiple twists and turns, you would certainly pause for a moment to sit and think about the plot. 

It is simple yet intriguing and despite its numerous faults, the film was quite enjoyable at times. 
Anyone who loves Bangladeshi films and thriller films should check it out.

"Chok" was released on 18 February and it can be watched on the OTT platform Cinematic.