Agnibaan, directed by Mrinmoy Arun Saikia, whose previous work in Kolongpar showed immense promise, was released on February 6, 2026, on as many as eighty screens across Assam. A big-budget action film produced by the makers of SUV’s Sri Raghupati (2023), the new film has, however, failed to impress audiences.

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Many viewers have claimed that Agnibaan is a messy and confused film. It attempts to juggle a revenge drama and a police procedural simultaneously, but fails to decide which story should take centre stage and which should remain a subplot. The result is a disjointed narrative that struggles to maintain focus.

Moreover, while it introduces action-genre elements that are new to Assamese cinema, the story, hero, and villain all feel generic and recycled from the familiar beats of Bollywood and South Indian action films.

So, what looks fresh locally has already been seen and executed better elsewhere.

But one cause alone cannot manufacture a poor film. Therefore, with all causes listed below point-wise, this article-cum-review tries to take an in-depth look at why popular actor Jatin Bora’s latest Assamese release is a terrible film:

An Exhausting Runtime And Needless Detours

At nearly 2 hours and 50 minutes, Agnibaan is a full test of the audience’s endurance capabilities. The film is cluttered with unnecessary characters and scenes that contribute nothing new to the narrative.

We spend an unreasonable amount of time on side characters, like an illegal immigrant named Kuddus, who has no real impact on the plot. He is simply there to make a political point and host an action sequence.

Then, a fellow policeman is shown who purposefully walks alone into a villain’s den at midnight, only to let another policeman die without context. It is followed by an equally pointless death ceremony, which did not feel necessary to the story it was trying to tell.

Then there are random moments, like characters playing the violin when angry or offering prasad to Kankana Chakraborty, which feel totally out of place. These diversions derail pacing and drain the film of urgency.

Social Commentary Without Substance

While Agnibaan attempts to engage with issues like drug trafficking, illegal immigration, and the ill effects of social media, much of this commentary feels forced and politically agenda-driven rather than an organic part of the story.

The portrayal of Miya Muslims is heavily villainised, aligning uncomfortably with dominant ruling-ideology narratives.

Several subplots, particularly Preety Kongana’s backstory, exist only to deliver a few symbolic moments (like a cathartic slap to a misogynist ex-husband) rather than to advance the plot. The relentless moral lecturing in the name of feminism and the misuse of social media results in terrible fatigue.

Weak Writing And Editing

The film suffers from alarmingly poor writing, marked by on-the-nose dialogue and scenes that stretch endlessly without contributing to narrative progression.

Characters repeatedly pause the story to console one another or deliver social commentary. A six-years-ago flashback is awkwardly inserted and feels completely out of place.

The humour fares no better—relying heavily on crude toilet jokes involving farting and pooping. Characters are shown defecating anywhere and everywhere in the film.

These useless gags feel lazy and out of sync with the film’s supposedly serious tone.

Agnibaan also inherits the worst structural qualities of the filmmaking team’s previous film, Gulai Soor (2025), though that film at least had an interesting story.

Agnibaan is further proof of why directors should not be the editors of their own films.

Bad Climax

Beyond a handful of well-choreographed action and gunfight sequences, the film offers little in the name of genuine style.

Cameos by Bondip Sarma and Ravi Sharma are there merely for the sake of it and to promise a sequel, which will now likely never be made because of the poor public response.

The climax feels unoriginal and reminds one of several South Indian and Bollywood action films, like Lokesh Kanagaraj’s Vikram (2022).

The covert task-force narrative also bears striking similarities to Ravi Sharma’s Rudra. Even the death of Preety Kongana’s character recalls Asin’s fate in Ghajini, making the film feel more recycled than inspired.

An Underused Leading Man

Jatin Bora, surprisingly, fails to shine in Agnibaan. While his action scenes are competent, he appears tired and often out of place within the narrative.

Despite Bora heading a covert task force, the film neglects to properly introduce or develop the functions of its members.

Ironically, brief cameos by Bondip Sarma and Ravi Sharma command more screen presence than the lead actor. This is less a failure of performance and more a failure of direction in establishing Bora’s heroism.

Jatin Bora has the star power; unfortunately, the film fails to extract it.

Moreover, Kankana Chakraborty’s loud, exaggerated performance further disrupts the believability of the film.

Too Many Characters, No Clear Focus

As mentioned above, the film suffers from severe confusion regarding a clear point of view. It is overcrowded with characters, each given unnecessary backstories at the expense of the main plot.

Everyone feels like a protagonist, which ultimately reduces Jatin Bora to a supporting presence in his own film.

The narrative repeatedly forgets earlier characters as it introduces new ones. Bobbeeta Sharma appears once at the beginning and is seen again only towards the end.

Preety Kongana does not appear until half-time. Even Kamal Lochan’s villain, despite moments of intensity, becomes repetitive after a point.

Moreover, the individual performance styles of the actors clash badly in group scenes.

Himanshu Prasad Das, as a policeman, tries to remain subtle, while Kankana Chakraborty, as his boss, blows everything out of proportion.

An Underwhelming Soundtrack And Flat Visuals

The music of the film is a major letdown. For a commercial action film of this scale, the songs fail to leave any impact or generate pre-release buzz.

Bishrut Saikia is weak, and Mridul XMX is too Gen Z. Even Zubeen Garg’s final song for Jatin Bora does not land emotionally.

Visually, the film is murky and lacks the vibrancy expected from a big-budget action entertainer.

End Note

Therefore, all signs point to Agnibaan being one of 2026’s major box-office flops.

Evening shows are running empty in several cities and towns across Assam. Several screenings in the region have reportedly been cancelled due to a lack of audience.

Moreover, the premiere venue—Kelvin Cinema Hall in Guwahati—failed to sell out a single ticket on opening day.

Like Himanshu Prasad Das’s Joy Hanu Man (2024), Agnibaan also ambitiously teases a sequel.

However, given the poor public response, that promise seems unlikely to materialise.

Agnibaan is written by Ajit Giri, Saptrashi Gogoi, and Mrinmoy Arjun Saikia, and produced by Mayurakshee Sharma and Sailen Sharma.

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