Taandob

During a live interview on "Channel Bangla," the Minister of Power and Energy, Mahtab Hossain, gets gunned by a masked gunman—Swadhin, the leader of an armed group in monkey mask that hijacks the news station. Chaos erupts as SWAT teams, police, and media converge on the scene. The gunmen terrorize the staff, at one point threatening to strip the CEO, Masrur, naked when he tries to raise his voice against the hijackers. Swadhin issues an ultimatum live on air: within one hour, four individuals must be brought to the building—Minister of Religion Monayem Chowdhury, former IGP Rafiqullah, channel owner Fayez Karim, and a top journalist—or mass destruction will follow. To prove his seriousness, Swadhin detonates a bus outside the station. The named individuals are taken to the office of the Home Minister as a staging point before being sent to the station, but a trustworthy journalist is needed to mediate. Fayez suggests Saira Ali, a formerly fearless and principled reporter known for speaking truth to power. Though initially reluctant, Saira agrees for the sake of the hostages. Before she enters the building, SWAT commander Bayezid equips her with a pen containing a hidden camera, which Swadhin immediately detects and destroys it. He forces everyone to go live on air. Swadhin claims the hijacking is a mission to demand accountability and justice. When Saira asks why he targeted a news station, he begins to recount his tragic past: Eight years earlier, Swadhin was an unemployed young man desperately seeking a job. His girlfriend, Nishat, was under pressure from her family to marry, and her father gave Swadhin two months to find employment. Swadhin’s father, Salam, a respected school headmaster, refused to use his influence to help, insisting that Swadhin succeed on his own. After a month of rejections, Swadhin moved to Dhaka to stay with Saddam, a former student of his father's. Despite tireless efforts, he continued to be turned down. Eventually, Swadhin was offered a job and joyfully informed Nishat and his father. However, on his joining day, he was turned away—the offer had been made in error, and he was kicked out but the peon told Swadhin that the position had gone to someone who paid a bribe. Saddam advised him to take up part-time delivery work while continuing to apply for jobs in affluent areas like Gulshan and Banani. Out of shame, Swadhin lied to his family about his situation. When he attempted to confess the truth to Nishat’s father, the latter, not wearing his hearing aid, failed to hear him. A week before his wedding, Swadhin finally secured a legitimate job. But on his way home, he was arrested by ADC Kamrul and falsely accused of murdering JW Harris, a foreign businessman. Despite proclaiming his innocence, he was brutally tortured and missed his wedding. He was sent to the “Iron Cell,” a black site for forced confessions. There, Warden Shofiuddin informed him that Nishat had committed suicide and that his father had been killed. Grief-stricken and enraged, Swadhin snapped, killed the guards, and escaped with other inmates. Before he can reveal more during the live broadcast, SWAT teams storm the building. A violent standoff ensues. Swadhin subdues Bayezid, prompting Saira to hold him at gunpoint, but she is forced to stand down when Swadhin threatens to execute the captive officials. Swadhin demands that the three officials—Monayem, Rafiqullah, and Fayez—confess their involvement. They initially deny everything, but Swadhin escalates by airing live footage of his men removing the oxygen mask from Monayem’s ailing mother. Under pressure, Monayem finally confesses: JW Harris had actually been killed by Armaan Mansur, the unstable son of powerful industrialist Amjaad Mansur, following an altercation. To cover up the incident, Amjaad paid each of the officials ৳500 crore, with Monayem—then the Home Minister—receiving ৳1,000 crore. ADC Kamrul had discovered Swadhin’s innocence shortly after the arrest but was removed from the case. Outraged by the revelations, the public erupts in protest and sets fire to factories owned by Mansur Textiles. Swadhin orders that the corrupt officials be handed over to the police. As mobs gather outside the station, the hostages are released and the three officials are arrested. Swadhin’s men escape by blending in with the freed hostages. Saira warns Swadhin that the public will not allow his arrest either. Nevertheless, Swadhin surrenders peacefully, delivering a powerful speech about justice. A final twist reveals that Saira had secretly been working with Swadhin all along. During the original JW Harris investigation, Saira had pursued the truth relentlessly. Despite pressure from Fayez, she refused to abandon the story. In retaliation, Monayem had her brother Evan detained and killed in the Iron Cell. Swadhin later disclosed this to Saira, igniting her desire for revenge. It was her idea to use the live broadcast to expose the truth. As Swadhin is taken into custody, another masked group attacks and frees him. Saira is summoned to the Ministry, where ADC Kamrul informs her that the man who appeared on the broadcast as Swadhin was not actually him. A government officer reveals that back in 2005, he had arrested a gold smuggler at the border—an international terrorist named Mikhail, who had been imprisoned in the Iron Cell under a false identity and later escaped by killing everyone inside. The real Swadhin had died saving Mikhail from Warden Shofiuddin. Mikhail assumed Swadhin’s identity and vowed to avenge his friend. As the truth unfolds, officials learn that Mikhail’s gang has just robbed Bangladesh’s gold reserve. Saira, now determined, vows to stop him. Meanwhile, with Amjaad Mansur arrested, his son Armaan is held in isolation due to his unstable mental state. Upon overhearing his caretaker discussing plans to hand him over to the police and revealing his father's arrest, Armaan kills the caretaker and escapes. In a pre-credit scene, Masud discovers that his manager had leaked their gold reserve robbery plan to Mikhail’s gang. In retaliation, he kills the manager and vows to recover his money and take revenge on Mikhail. == Cast ==

Development Shortly after the release of Toofan (2024), director Raihan Rafi announced plans for a sequel titled Toofan 2. However, the project did not move forward. He later reunited with Shakib Khan for a new collaboration, Taandob, as their second collaboration. The film's title was officially registered with the Bangladesh Film Directors Association on 1 December 2024, as confirmed to Desh Rupantor by Shaheen Sumon, the association's General Secretary. It is a joint production venture between Indian studio Shree Venkatesh Films and Bangladeshi company Alpha-i Entertainment Ltd., with OTT platform Chorki serving as a co-producer and Deepto TV providing additional support. According to a report published by Prothom Alo in the first week of December 2024, director Raihan Rafi had begun pre-production work on the film. While Rafi had officially signed on as director, producer Shahriar Shakil confirmed that lead actor Shakib Khan had expressed verbal interest in the project. Shihab Nurun Nabi has been appointed as the art director of the film. He previously collaborated with Khan and director Rafi on the 2024 period film Toofan, where his recreation of 1990s Dhaka received critical acclaim. His work on that project has set high expectations for the visual storytelling in the film. Director Rafi wrote the story for the film and Adnan Adib Khan, who previously wrote the screenplay for Toofan, co-wrote the screenplay for the film in collaboration with Rafi. Shakib Khan reunited with director Raihan Rafi for the film Taandob, following the widespread success of Toofan (2024). Khan officially signed onto the project on 13 February 2025, in the presence of Shahriar Shakil, managing director of SVF–Alpha-i Entertainment Ltd., and director Raihan Rafi. In a report published on 26 March 2025, NTV stated that television actress and model Sabila Nur would play the female lead opposite Khan, marking her debut in films. The report also noted that Jaya Ahsan would appear in a special role, while actor Sariful Razz might make a brief cameo lasting approximately 40 seconds. In a report published by Prothom Alo on the same day, producer Shahriar Shakil confirmed Jaya Ahsan's involvement in the film but dismissed reports suggesting that Sabila Nur had been cast as the second female lead. He stated that no final decision had been made regarding the role, although a preliminary shortlist of five to six names had been prepared, which may have included Nur. Shakil added that the casting would ultimately depend on the suitability of the actor for the story and character. According to a report published by Samakal on 7 April, Ahsan had participated in the film's shooting prior to Eid and will reportedly portray a journalist. On 9 April, NTV reported, citing a source associated with the production, that complications regarding the lead actress had caused the cancellation of filming scheduled for 8 April. On 28 April, several footage, including still photos and videos from a song sequence shoot in Puthia, Rajshahi, featuring Shakib Khan and Sabila Nur, were leaked on social media. The footages confirmed Nur's involvement as the film's lead actress, marking her debut on the big screen. Model and actress Nidra Dey Neha confirmed her involvement in the film in an interview with Prothom Alo, also affirming her participation in the shooting. Neha was reportedly removed from the film following media reports, citing allegations of breaching confidentiality. Prior to her removal, she had taken part in one day of shooting. She later described the decision as unprofessional. Filming The principal photography was scheduled to begin in February 2025; however, it was postponed due to various reasons. As of late April, approximately 70 percent of the film's filming had reportedly been completed. A song and portions of the climax action sequence of the film were scheduled to be shot in Sri Lanka. Shakib Khan traveled there on 16 April, accompanied by co-star Sabila Nur and members of the technical crew. According to reports, the cast and crew planned to stay in Sri Lanka for a week. == Themes and influences ==

According to NTV, citing a source from one of the production companies, the film's story would revolve around an attack on a television channel in Bangladesh. == Music ==

}} Notes • Exact release dates, composers, lyricists, and singers for some tracks are not fully specified in available sources, as some songs may be fan-made or pending official confirmation. • The total length of the soundtrack is unavailable due to incomplete track duration data. == Marketing and release ==

The first look poster of the film was released on 28 March 2025, coinciding with Khan's 46th birthday. On 18 May 2025, a 1-minute and 41-second teaser of the film was released, featuring Khan wearing a monkey mask. The teaser quickly gained attention on social media and received positive responses from both viewers and critics. The film was released in 132 theatres in Bangladesh on 7 June 2025, coinciding with Eid al-Adha. == Controversy ==

Model and actress Nidra Dey Neha confirmed her involvement in the film in an interview with Prothom Alo, also affirming her participation in the shooting. On 6 June, the screening of the film at Auliabad Auditorium in Kalihati Upazila, Tangail, was halted following pressure from Islamist groups. Although the groups later withdrew their objections, the theatre authorities ultimately decided to discontinue the screenings, citing the controversy and negative attention surrounding the protests. The film became a victim of piracy shortly after its release. The director stated that legal action would be taken against those involved in the illegal distribution of the film. On 21 June 2025, three individuals were arrested and remanded to jail by a Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Court in connection with a case filed under the Copyright law of Bangladesh by the film producer Shahriar Shakil. == Reception ==

Audience response Following the release of the film's teaser, it attracted significant attention on social media and received generally positive feedback from viewers and some critics. Reports indicated that the teaser surpassed 10 million views across various social media platforms within 24 hours of its release. Critical reception Box office performance Made on an undisclosed budget, the film grossed approximately ৳5 crore from 8 multiplexes as of 18 June 2025, and was screened in 132 theatres across Bangladesh. The film sold over ৳12 crore tickets from multiplexes and nearly ৳18 crore from single screens in a month, for a total gross collection of over ৳30 crore. == Awards ==