‘Bonolota Express’ trailer brings Humayun Ahmed’s ‘Kichukkhon’ to the screen

The newly released trailer for “Bonolota Express”, directed by Tanim Noor and inspired by Humayun Ahmed’s novel ‘Kichukkhon’, offers the first look at a film built around intersecting lives on a single train journey.

Released on social media at 8pm on March 12, the 1-minute 21-second trailer opens at Kamalapur Railway Station before shifting inside the compartments of the Bonolota Express train. Within hours of its release, the clip climbed into the top 10 trending videos in Bangladesh, reflecting early curiosity among viewers.

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The trailer does not reveal the full storyline. Instead, it introduces a range of passengers travelling on the same train, each carrying their own circumstances. Among them are Dr Ashhab, travelling with his mentally unstable mother; Chitra, a young woman embarking on a solitary journey; Rashid Uddin, an eccentric passenger; and Education Minister Abul Khayer Khan.

As the train moves forward, these characters gradually find themselves drawn into the same unfolding situation.

The film brings together a large ensemble cast including Chanchal Chowdhury, Mosharraf Karim, Azmeri Haque Badhan, Zakia Bari Mamo, Sabila Nur, Intekhab Dinar, Sariful Islam Razz, Shamima Nazneen, Shamol Mawla, Tridha Paul, Maan Labonno Chowdhury, Tamim Kareem and Sifat Rahman.

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Director Tanim Noor, whose earlier work “Utshob” drew attention for its ensemble storytelling, appears to follow a similar approach here. Rather than focusing on a single protagonist, the film seems to build its narrative through several interconnected characters sharing the same journey.

Much of the drama unfolds inside the train itself. Passengers from different social and personal backgrounds occupy the same confined space — a doctor travelling with his troubled mother, a young woman travelling alone, a cleric and his pregnant wife, an eccentric intellectual and a powerful minister.

As the journey continues, a crisis inside one of the compartments begins to link these separate lives.

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Humayun Ahmed’s original story presents the train as a small, temporary society where authority, vulnerability and compassion often collide within a short span of time. The trailer suggests the film will draw on that same dynamic.

Visually, the preview emphasises atmosphere rather than spectacle. Dimly lit interiors, close interactions between passengers and brief moments of tension indicate a film driven largely by character and dialogue.

The screenplay and dialogues are written by Samiul Bhuiyan and Ayman Asib Shadin, with cinematography by Barkat Hossain Polash. Editing is by Saleh Sobhan Auneem, and the music is composed by Sayba Talukdar.

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The film is produced by Hoichoi Studios, Buriganga Talkies and Dope Productions.

While the trailer establishes the setting and introduces its characters, many aspects of the story remain undisclosed. The central conflict and the direction the narrative ultimately takes are still unclear.

“Bonolota Express” is scheduled for a nationwide theatrical release during Eid-ul-Fitr 2026.