Operation Sundarbans

Plot

The Sundarbans, the world's largest mangrove forest in southern Bangladesh, is home to diverse wildlife including the Royal Bengal Tiger and supports many local livelihoods. For over four decades, pirates have terrorized the people there. To address this, the Rapid Action Battalion's Director General tasks RAB-7 commanding officer Ishtiaqe Ahmed with freeing the Sundarbans from these criminals. Ahmed leads an operation with Lieutenant Rishan, commander of the RAB Crime Prevention Unit, and Major Sayem, head of the newly created Sundarbans Squad. Meanwhile, researcher Tania Kabir arrives to study the forest's tigers. After the pirates are dealt with, the team discovers the bandits were merely pawns in a larger scheme, manipulated by a hidden, sinister force. The squad then continues its fight against this unseen enemy.

Production

In April 2018, major producer of this film RAB Welfare Cooperative pitched the idea to Dipon for developing the script for a film based on RAB's operation for uprooting the robbers of Sundarbans. Dipon randomly went to Sundarbans to study the scope of this film as well as did research on the mangrove forest. After research, Dipon himself along with Nazim-ud-Doula and research team RDT prepared the screenplay. On 14 June 2019, Bangladeshi daily Prothom Alo wrote that RAB Welfare Cooperative was to finance 4 Crore (40 million) Taka for this film production.

The film was officially announced on 13 June 2019 by both production houses. Casting was kept secret, later introduced on 1 November 2019 at an event held at Bagerhat Sheikh Helal Uddin Stadium for celebrating the first year of robber-free Sundarban. Riaz, Nusraat, Roshan, Siam, Manoj Pramanik, Samina and Manoj Mitra made the primary cast list. Later, Sheikh Ehsanur Rahman, Shatabdi Wadud, Manoj Mitro, and Tuya Chakraborthy were cast in undisclosed roles.

About a hundred actors work in supporting roles, including thirty members from RAB in non-credited roles. Riaz, Roshan and Siam received special training from RAB before casting their roles. Actors also underwent pre-shoot grooming and rehearsals before principal photography began. Mandar char, Bangabandhu char, Patnir char, Katkar char of greater Sundarbans forest were selected for primary shooting.

Most outdoor shooting took place at Dublar Char, Alor Kol er Char, Kaalir Char, Meher Alir Char, Lakshmir Char and Hiron Point inside the deep forest. Few indoor shoots were taken from Bangladesh Film Development Corporation and various RAB facilities in Dhaka and Gazipur. The first phase of shooting started on 20 December 2019 at Buri Goalini, Chunkuri, Harinagar area near Sundarbans in Satkhira, lasting 16 days till 31 December 2019. The second phase started on 13 February 2020 and stretched out up to 13 March 2020, taking place at the Bay of Bengal coast lines and Jamtala area, concluding on 11 March 2020.

Release

Its actual release date was 1 August 2020, but was postponed for the COVID-19 epidemic. Later the date was changed to 21 July 2021 but wasn't released on that date. After the release of the official trailer on 29 July, the release date of the film was finalized to 23 September 2022. The film received clearance from the Bangladesh Film Censor Board on 11 September. It was premiered in Star Cineplex, Bashundhara City on 20 September 2022. The film was scheduled to be released in 35 cinemas. The number of cinemas showing the film increased by 10 in the second week of its release. It was released in Sydney on 7 October 2022.