Ajob Karkhana (Song of Soul) (2024) [Movie Review] — A Soulful, Uneven Musical Drama

Shabnam Ferdousi’s Ajob Karkhana (Song of Soul) follows Rajeeb, a middle-aged rockstar played by Parambrata Chattopadhyay, whose professional tour becomes an inward journey when he meets folk artists living on the margins. The film threads together encounters with rural musicians, a ramp model girlfriend (Shabnaz Sadia Emi), and media figures, using these meetings to explore authenticity, loss, and the restorative power of music. It’s a philosophical musical more intent on mood and meditation than conventional plot propulsion.

Direction & Writing: A documentarian’s sensibility in fiction

As Shabnam Ferdousi’s fiction debut, the film carries the imprint of a seasoned documentarian: observational, patient, and attentive to small details. Her background gives the film credibility when it steps into the world of folk performers, and her eye for real-life textures is a clear strength. At times, the screenplay—also by Ferdousi—leans toward reflection over dramatic stakes, which will delight viewers who favor atmosphere and ideas, but may leave mainstream audiences wanting clearer momentum.

Performances: Parambrata leads with quiet dignity

Parambrata Chattopadhyay anchors the film with a nuanced turn as Rajeeb — a performer who carries both ego and vulnerability. He inhabits the role with believable weariness and a musician’s physicality. Shabnaz Sadia Emi makes a promising film debut; her modeling background translates into a natural screen presence and an easy chemistry with Parambrata. Supporting players, including Dilruba Hossain Doyel and Selim/Dilu Boyati, bring authenticity to the folk spaces, lending the film emotional weight even when the narrative drifts.

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Music: The heartbeat of the film

Music is the film’s central character, and here Ajob Karkhana largely succeeds. With six original tracks — five featuring lyrics by poet Helal Hafiz — and compositions by Labik Kamal Gaurob, Tonmoy Tansen, and the band 7 Minutes, the soundtrack is diverse and heartfelt. Gaurob’s background score, created under challenging lockdown conditions, combines folk, rock, classical, and fusion in ways that frequently pay off. Several sequences where music takes center stage are genuinely transporting; the film’s awards for sound and original song underline its musical strengths.

Technical craft: Sound, visuals, and production design

Cinematography favors earth tones and intimate framings that highlight performers and their instruments. Production design and locations effectively evoke both urban stages and rural humility, giving the story a lived-in texture. Sound design is a standout — crucial for a musical drama — and the mixing elevates live performances, making the film’s musical moments the most memorable. At times, however, the pacing and editing betray a documentary rhythm that can blunt dramatic tension.

Pacing & Structure: Poetic but occasionally meandering

The film’s reflective structure will appeal to festival audiences and cinephiles who enjoy contemplation over resolution. That very quality is also its limitation: scenes that savor small details sometimes overstay their welcome, and the central conflict lacks a propulsive arc. The result is a film that lingers in the mind more for its musical set pieces and ideas than for a tightly knit narrative.

Why it matters: An important cultural document

Ajob Karkhana matters because it centers folk artistes — their struggles, dignity, and transformative power — within mainstream cinema. Backed by a government grant and screened at multiple international festivals (with several awards), Shabnam Ferdousi’s film contributes meaningfully to the conversation about music, cultural roots, and the responsibilities of storytellers in contemporary Bangladeshi cinema.

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Final Verdict: ⭐⭐⭐ (3/5)

Ajob Karkhana is a thoughtful, music-forward film that rewards patience. Its strongest assets are authentic performances and an evocative, expertly crafted soundscape. Viewers seeking a conventional musical drama may find it slow, but those open to a meditative cinematic essay on music and identity will find much to appreciate.