Shakib Khan’s Borbaad is dominating Eid box offices across Bangladesh, drawing praise for its emotional depth and powerful performances. Released alongside films like Dagi and Jongli, Borbaad has emerged as a fan favorite—largely due to its captivating storytelling and compelling characters.

A Story of Obsession, Sacrifice, and Second Chances

This Eid-ul-Fitr brought a fresh lineup of Bangladeshi films—Dagi, Borbaad, Jongli, Chokkor 302, Jinn 3, and Ontoratma. Now into the second week of Eid, Borbaad starring Shakib Khan, Dagi with Afran Nisho, and Jongli featuring Siam Ahmed continue to draw packed houses.

Among these, Borbaad, produced by Shahreen Akhter and Azim Haroon under the banner of Real Energy Productions and directed by Mehedi Hasan Hridoy, is earning the most acclaim. The film features six songs and stars Shakib Khan as Arian Mirza opposite Idhika Paul—an actress from West Bengal—who plays Neetu.

The story of Borbaad weaves together romance, heartbreak, and a dose of political intrigue. Arian Mirza battles his destructive drug addiction to win Neetu’s love, determined to give up everything—even his own self—for her affection. Shakib Khan’s screen presence and performance as Arian are striking and powerful.

The film opens with scenes from Arian Mirza’s childhood. Veteran actor Misha Sawdagar plays his father, Adib Mirza—a businessman and politician. From beginning to end, Misha Sawdagar’s performance is impressive, keeping the audience engaged throughout.

Neetu and Arian’s paths cross when she seeks a donation from a charity foundation. Due to his addiction, Arian checks into a rehab center, where their love story begins.

In the second half of the film, Fazlur Rahman Babu appears briefly but memorably, delivering a standout performance as always. Despite his limited screen time, his portrayal of a father-daughter relationship adds a touching layer to the narrative. The story then begins to twist and turn.

Jisshu Sengupta, a strong presence in the film, unfortunately has minimal screen time. However, it is the character of Jillu—played by popular West Bengali actor Shyam Bhattacharya—who unexpectedly steals the show. Jillu, Arian’s loyal companion, wins the audience’s hearts with his passionate dialogue, “Sir! I can’t bear your pain.”

One cinema enthusiast, Sajib, shared, “This movie shows just how crazy and devastated a man can become because of love. It also beautifully portrays a father’s love for his son from start to finish.”

Several dialogues have resonated deeply with audiences, such as:

“What can’t be bought with money and power is 100% exclusive.”

“It took me one second to fall in love with you, and it’ll take just a nanosecond to let you go.”

Despite the buzz, some viewers noted the film’s excessive violence and felt the climax could’ve been stronger. “The villain needed more of an action-oriented presence,” one fan lamented. “That would’ve really elevated the ending.”

According to journalist Sible Ahmmed, the Bangladeshi film industry is on the path to improvement, and audiences are eager for local films of this caliber. He reminisced about the golden era of Bangladeshi cinema in the 1990s, when moviegoers would rush to theaters upon every new release. At its peak, the industry functioned like a massive production house, but eventually failed to keep pace with the times. A lack of good stories and decent theater environments led to declining audiences, and today, only around 70 cinema halls remain.

Ahmmed believes a good story is the soul of a film—one that can hold the audience’s attention from beginning to end. If directors focus on compelling narratives and well-developed characters, the Bangladeshi film industry can make a strong comeback. Viewer interest will grow, defunct theaters may reopen, and the cinema culture could be revived.

Notably, the film features a glamorous item number performed by Tollywood actress Nusrat Jahan. The cast also includes Misha Sawdagar, Fazlur Rahman Babu, Shahiduzzaman Selim, Jisshu Sengupta, Mamunur Rashid, Kazi Hayat, Intekhab Dinar, and Shyam Bhattacharya. Currently, the song Chand Mama is topping YouTube’s trending charts. According to the production house, Borbaad is running in 123 theaters, including both single screens and multiplexes. It will be released in the U.S. on April 18 and in Canada on April 19, marking the start of Shakib Khan Films’ international distribution journey.