Unlike Baishe Shrabon, Dwitiyo Purush or even Vinci Da, this film follows the how and why done it pattern. The previous movies were primarily based on who done it pattern. And this is why the antagonist Biswaroop Bardhan (Jishu Sengupta) had been revealed in the trailer itself. This man considers himself to be the tenth avatar of Lord Vishnu (Kalki) and vows to kill people who are a threat to the society. The cop duo is assigned to catch this man.
What works
This is the premise and the story overall is quite simple (a bit dated as well). The dialogues by Srijit Mukherjee are spot on. The famous dialogues of the previous films are present in ample amounts (invoking the sense of nostalgia), and the new dialogues are bang for the buck as well, especially the one liners. The performances are stellar. Prosenjit Chatterjee gives that same savage vibe which he gave more than a decade back in Baishe Srabon and Anirban Bhattacharya is still in Vinci Da mode. Jishu Sengupta has really made his presence felt here (although his character wasn't well written). He gets limited screen time, was not shown much during the promos, but still manages to make a mark. Jaya Ahsan does well too as a psychiatric. The direction has been good but inconsistent (will discuss the inconsistency later). The entry of Probir is massy. Although the mass treatment isn't present anywhere else in the film, it doesn't feel odd. The chemistry between Bijoy and Probir is well established. Their words exchange, junior-senior chemistry (often disputes) are shown really well. This time around Bijoy Poddar is shown to often have a reply to Probir's savage remarks and it's distinct from what we witnessed in Baishe Shrabon from Abhijit Pakrashi played by Parambrata Chatterjee. The killings which directly refer to the ten avatars of Lord Vishnu are very metaphorical and well executed. The third murder inside a lift is probably the best of all with some next level metaphor coming all at once. Kudos to Srijit Mukherji's thinking. A dream sequence in the second half is just awfully great, while a scene where Probir is remembering his family is dark yet surprising. Probir sees his wife in her marriage attire but with a slit throat. Again, he sees his son but with a pillow on his face. These chilling scenes are really well crafted. The scene where Probir describes how he collected the mortal remains of his wife and son to Bijoy, make you feel for Probir's character.
The technical team has done a great job here. The colouring, special effects (not so at the end) and other aspects really reflect the investment that has been done. The bgm is good, but could've been better for sure. The cinematography has been great with some serious referencing used from Baishe Srabon (two identical shots of Victoria Memorial in both the films; amazing to say the least). The camera work during a chase sequence in the first half in just mind blowing where the camera moves out of a car and goes in front of the bike that is being chased, all in a single take. The music is really good. All the three songs feel good and are placed decently in the film.
What doesn't work
In a 'how and why done it' format thriller film, the thrill needs to be in ample amount, providing an edge of the seat experience. Sadly, that's what is missing in Dawshom Awbotaar. The thrill definitely needs to work were there is no room for suspense but that doesn't happen. Things go on happening, and towards the end we realise that we enjoyed the nostalgic references, new dialogues and performances, but not the thrill at all. Poetry is used again like in Baishe Shrabon. It feels nice but doesn't have a very serious impact. There are two twists at the end. Even if the viewers aren't able to guess the first one, by the time the climax approaches, many would figure out what the actual twist is. Srijit Mukherji's thrillers always have a pattern where the whole narrative of a 2 hour 30 minutes film changes in the last ten minutes, leaving audiences jaw drop (it was the case for Baishe Shrabon as well). He has tried to incorporate that here as well, but it fails to garner that gravity mainly due to the predictable ending, lack of conviction (maybe) and a dragged climax. And the last nail on the coffin is shown very casually. Poor vfx and bad editing made it way worse. Better not talk about it. The overall editing could've been better as the film drags in places. The love angle between Bijoy and Moitryee is decently established and looks lost somewhere between everything and doesn't really stand out.
Conclusion
From a thriller point of view Dawshom Awbotaar isn't Srijit Mukherji's one of the best films, but it's a good film (from a buddy cop film perspective) especially due to the nostalgic value it provides alongwith stellar performances, punchy dialogues and soulful music.
Recommendation
7/10