Kaliachak Chapter 1


Kaliachak Chapter 1 is a 2024 Indian Bengali-language crime thriller film directed by Ratool Mukherjee. The ensemble cast includes Asim Aktar, Rupanjana Mitra, Partha Sarathi, Deboprasad Haldar and Debapratim Dasgupta. Produced by Sahi Bangla Films, the film was released on 2 August 2024. It is based on the 2021 murder of four members of a family in Kaliachak in the Malda district of West Bengal.
The music is done by Vikky singh and the Sound designer and mixing engineer of the film is Silajit Chakraborty
A sequel, Kaliachak Chapter 2, was announced in January 2025.

Synopsis

The film is set in Kaliachak, a village in West Bengal's Malda district. Based on a true event, it explores how poverty, lack of education, domestic abuse and poor upbringing lead young adults into crime.
The narrative centers around a 19-year-old Asik Ahmed, who is involved in the murder of four of his own family members. They were his father, mother, small sister and grandmother. Upon investigation, law enforcement officers discovered their decomposed bodies from an abandoned place. On further investigation, the officials got to know about Asik’s computer hacking skills. Despite confessing for the homicides, he shows no remorse for his action. Following this tragic incident, the film highlights the struggles of law enforcement officials dealing with gangs and criminal organizations in this seemingly quiet but troubled village.

Cast

Production

The film was officially announced in November 2023. In an interview with Arindam Chatterjee from The Telegraph, Director Ratool Mukherjee expressed "Protagonist Asim Aktar is an exceptionally dedicated actor, always eager to learn. He followed my instructions with the diligence of an attentive student and sought advice from senior actors on set to enhance his performance". He also stated that Atanu, Asim and his team had literally scrutinised every news article, every video footage and every news report on the incident to form the core of this film.

Release

The film's trailer was made available on several digital platforms. Initially the film was supposed to release on 14 June, but due to various controversies, including protests by residents of Kaliachak alleging defamation of their village, the film was postponed and finally released on 2 August.

Reception

Debarshi Bandopadhyay from Anandabazar Patrika rated the film 6 out of 10 stars and concluded "Many young filmmakers are interested in making films on new topics with a low budget and emotional reliance. In 2021, four members of a family were murdered in Kaliachak. The film is primarily based on that incident." Although he criticised the plot, he praised the acting of the cast, specially Asim and the touch of reality interwoven with the society.