If you thought a massive 12-crore budget and superstar Shakib Khan could automatically save a 90s underworld crime drama, think again. Prince: Once Upon a Time in Dhaka is an absolute chore to sit through, completely sinking under its own weight with messy storytelling and agonizingly sluggish pacing.
Movie Title: [Prince: Once Upon a Time in Dhaka]
Alternative Title (if any): [প্রিন্স]
Genre: [Action, Crime, Thriller]
Release Year: [2026]
Where to Watch: [Theaters / Utshob OTT]
My Rating: ⭐ [3 out of 10]
IMDb Rating: ⭐ [4.5]/10
IMDb Link: [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt38098511/]
⭐ Quick Overview
Hey everyone, welcome back to the blog. Today, we are breaking down Prince: Once Upon a Time in Dhaka (2026). Directed by Abu Hayat Mahmud, this incredibly expensive Dhallywood action-thriller landed in theaters for Eid-ul-Fitr and recently made its way to the Utshob streaming platform.
🧩 Plot Overview (No Major Spoilers)
Set against the gritty backdrop of 1990s Dhaka, the film attempts to chronicle the meteoric rise and inevitable struggles of Ibrahim, a larger-than-life figure who evolves into "Kala Jahangir"—a fierce, legendary gangster navigating power, betrayal, and political crossfires.
The premise sounds like Bangladesh's answer to classic crime biopics, but the execution is painfully fragmented. Clocking in at a bloated 2 hours and 29 minutes, the movie drags heavily. Instead of a tight, suspenseful underworld narrative, we get a loosely connected series of sequence blocks that run in circles without giving the audience any real tension or narrative progression.
👩🎤 Cast & Performances
Shakib Khan definitely attempts to bring a dark, brooding intensity to the gangster avatar. He looks the part from behind, and he has a few scenes where his superstar screen presence shines through. Sadly, the script gives him very little actual substance to work with.
Tasnia Farin, playing Dilruba, is completely underutilized in a romance subplot that feels entirely tacked-on. The saving grace on the acting front is the brilliant Dibyendu Bhattacharya, who brings a much-needed layer of actual menace as an Afghan Pathan character. But even his talent can't balance out a supporting cast that relies on loud, outdated villain caricatures.
🎥 Cinematography & Direction
Visually, the film has its moments thanks to cinematographer Amit Roy. There are a few beautifully framed, blood-red stylized shots of the Dhaka streets and retro backdrops that look great. However, director Abu Hayat Mahmud doesn't seem to know how to piece these pretty shots together into a cohesive film. The action choreography feels incredibly sluggish and relies too heavily on old-school editing cuts and basic camera tricks rather than visceral, impactful stunts.
🎵 Music & Sound Design
The soundtrack, handled by Arafat Mohsin Nidhi, features some heavy hitters on vocals, but the overall placement is an absolute mess. The deafening, hyper-dramatic background score aggressively pushes its way over the top of critical dialogue scenes, making it genuinely difficult to hear what the characters are saying during key plot points.
❤️ What I Loved
✅ Dibyendu's Screen Presence: Dibyendu Bhattacharya elevates every single scene he is in, giving the movie its only genuine spark of threat.
✅ Stylized Visuals: A few of the retro 90s sets and atmospheric neon lighting setups looked quite impressive on the big screen.
😅 What Could Have Been Better
❌ Exhausting Runtime: At nearly two and a half hours, the pacing is a nightmare, causing the middle section of the film to completely stall.
❌ Cliché-Ridden Script: The screenplay is packed to the brim with corny, predictable dialogue and gangster tropes we've seen done better a hundred times before.
❌ Jarring Sound Mixing: The overbearing background noise completely ruins the emotional weight of multiple scenes.
🎯 Final Verdict
Prince: Once Upon a Time in Dhaka aims to be an epic, generation-defining crime saga but unfortunately trips over its own massive budget, weak character arcs, and lazy scriptwriting. Die-hard Shakib Khan completists might find a bit of enjoyment in his styling, but for everyone else, it's a frustratingly hollow ride.
My Rating: ⭐ 3/10
Rewatch Value: Extremely Low
Recommendation: Skip this one unless you have a high tolerance for slow, disjointed crime dramas.
📺 Where to Watch
The film has mostly finished its theatrical run across major halls like Blockbuster Cinemas, but you can currently catch it streaming online via the Utshob OTT platform.
🎬 Official Trailer
You can check out the promotional music videos and official teasers over on the production team's page or take a look at the official Trailer.
💭 My Final Thoughts
It's always disappointing when a high-budget project with so much potential fails to stick the landing. But I want to hear from you guys! Did any of you stream Prince on Utshob yet, or did you catch it during the Eid rush? Let me know your thoughts down below!
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This music video features the official pre-release track used to build anticipation for the movie's theatrical release.
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