Ikir Mikir review: A refreshing thriller with strong performances

Ratool Mukherjee’s investigation thriller Ikir Mikir revolves around the death of a security guard, played by Deboprasad Halder. Rupanjana Mitra and Rajatava Dutta’s characters, who are the prime suspects, accuse each other of murder while being separately interrogated by the police.

Surasha (Mitra) lives with her daughter Mili, while her husband is in a different city. The security guard gets murdered in Surasha’s apartment in the presence of Ranjan Sanyal (Dutta), who happens to be delivering a parcel around the same time. Surasha informs the police about the crime but after the police learn that the knife with which the victim was killed belongs to her, she is summoned to the station, along with Ranjan.

The housewife presents a detailed account of the murder and points a finger at Ranjan, portraying him as a crazed, unpredictable and imposing character. On the other hand, Ranjan describes Surasha as a woman with psychopathic traits and accuses her of framing.

The police officers in charge of the investigation, played by Sourav Das and Apratim Chatterjee, are not convinced by their statements as they struggle to identify a strong motive behind the murder.

As the investigators did deeper, more details regarding the characters are revealed via flashbacks.

However, what distinguishes the thriller from a generic whodunnit is the twist that takes place in the end. The film not only addresses a major social crisis but also does poetic justice to the narrative arc of both the characters with empathy. Ikir Mikir also makes an ironic statement regarding the idea of security with thoughtful characterisations.

However, Das's police officer comes across as frivolous and his lines, perhaps written with the intention to draw laughter, sound shallow. Also, as the investigation takes place over a single night, the timelines of two interrogation sessions conducted by the same police officers do not logically fit in the plot. In the end, what makes Das realize the truth remains a mystery too.

Dutta does justice to his complex character by altering his mannerisms like a chameleon and continuously baffles with his performance. Mitra is equally seamless, exhibiting both her vulnerabilities and strengths as a mother who raises her child almost singlehandedly.

Halder, Raychaudhury and Chatterjee deliver decent performances, while Das seems to have repeated his typical acting pattern in the film.

Despite certain weak points and plotholes, the screenplay is the strongest part of the film, and it has not only allowed the actors to display their prowess but has also helped cinematographer Raktim Mondal create some engaging visuals by manoeuvring his camera within a limited space. Editor Eshan Sil has also done a commendable job.

Debajyoti Mishra’s background score mostly adds to the suspense but sometimes sound a little imposing. Also, the use of a slow Tagore song in a moment of acute tension seems rather anti-climatic.

Ikir Mikir is a praiseworthy effort to make a thriller with a refreshing vision. Instead of solely focusing on exposing the criminal, the director has concentrated on building certain moments, gradually inviting the viewers to participate in the investigation and pick up on details that were overlooked by the police.

The film is being streamed on MovieSaints.