Ebar Shabor (“Now It’s the Hunter”) is another noteworthy Bengali whodunit. The crime this time is tackled by ACP (Assistant Commissioner of Police) Shabor Dasgupta, played by the immensely talented thespian Saswata Chatterjee. Ebar Shabor is based on the novel “Rwin” by Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay and directed by Arindham Sil.

The movie opens with a woman jogging along the seaside. She pauses for a moment to take a drink of water when something catches her attention: a corpse a few feet away. A closeup reveals the body of a young man with a red spot on his forehead, appearing to be a case of suicide as his lifeless hand clutches a pistol.

As the titles roll in, we see Shabor and his assistant involved in a chase with a suspect. The suspect is soon surrounded and apprehended by additional police personnel. Here, we get a glimpse into Shabor’s unique personality. Even after the exhausting run across narrow alleys and rooftops, Shabor shows no sign of anger and, in a businesslike fashion, tells the cops to take in the suspect. He simply walks away with his assistant, without even throwing a sucker punch. The only little detail I had a problem with is that both men were chasing the suspect, brandishing a revolver in each of their hands.

But, let’s get back to the plot. In the next scene, Shabor is at a crime scene—a residence—where he discovers the body of the victim, who turns out to be the woman seen jogging in the first scene. She has been brutally stabbed several times in her own home, sometime during the previous night, after throwing a party to friends and family.

Now, Shabor has his work cut out for him. There are several suspects to interview and piece together the entire puzzle of the murder and the victim herself. It is soon revealed that the murdered girl, Mitali Ghosh, was a complex person, far from perfect.

Mitali was married to Mithu Mitra (Abir Chatterjee), a bank manager proficient in Karate, who seemed to be an ideal husband. However, Mitali despised Mithu, feeling forced into the marriage by her father. More recently, Mitali’s first cousin Joyeeta (Payel Sarkar) has fallen in love with Mithu, who reciprocates her feelings. Could this seemingly perfect husband have a dark side?

Samiran, Mitali’s long-time friend, has had a crush on her for years. He is a womanizer and was seen drunk, professing his love for Mitali at the party the previous night. Shabor’s investigation further reveals that Mitali had once eloped with and married a street vagabond, Pantu Haldar (Ritwick Chakraborty). When she ended her relationship with this man, her father had Pantu beaten severely by the police.

Mitali’s father had his share of secrets too. He had fathered an illegitimate child with another woman of limited means. When this woman confided in Mitali, the latter did not believe her and threw her out. The woman turned to prostitution to support her son. It is now up to Shabor to tie up the loose ends and unearth the truth.

Saswata Chatterjee as Shabor dominates the movie, though the film wastes no time delving into his life. He is just a cop doing his job. Nothing is revealed about his personal life or motivations. Most of the narrative focuses on Mitali’s life, her misadventures, and the implications of her unfortunate actions on those around her.

Shabor’s interrogation technique is simple. He accuses each suspect of a crime and lists possible motives the suspect would have had to kill Mitali. The suspect’s response becomes part of the movie’s narrative. There are brief moments of comic interlude where Shabor picks on his younger subordinate Nandalal (Subhrajit Dutta). Shabor brings realism to his character with his subdued but effective acting, further accentuating the movie’s quality.

Ebar Shabor’s success would make it the first in the series of movies featuring detective Shabor. Realism, a compelling plot, and great performances by Saswata Chatterjee make this a must-see whodunit.