SVF today revealed the first look of the central characters of Byomkesh Web Series forHoichoi. This soon-to-be-launched Series is an adaptation of late writer Sharadindu Bandyopadhyay’s stories that continue to thrill the Bengalis, young and old alike, even today.
Anirban Bhattacharya, recently seen in the critically-acclaimed film Dhananjoy, will be portraying the lead role of Byomkesh in this much-awaited Hoichoi Web Series. While Subrat Dutta would be playing the role of Byomkesh’s trusted friend-turned-aide – Ajit, Ridhima Ghosh would be seen as Satyabati, Byomkesh’s wife.
Speaking about the challenges of stepping into Byomkesh’s shoes, Anirban Bhattacharya says,“It is a great feeling to be able to play Byomkesh. Since many great actors have donned the Byomkesh hat before, there’s some pressure, but that vanishesonce the camera starts rolling. Sharadindu Bandyopadhyay added various layers and abstract qualities to the character, that makes playing Byomkesh a great challenge in itself.” Commenting on Byomkesh being available on world’s biggest Bengali OTT platform Hoichoi, he says, “I am excited that Bengalis all over the world will be able to watch Byomkesh web series on Hoichoi, and the fact that I am one of the protagonists of the show feels great.”
Subrat Dutta, who plays Ajit,says “It feels absolutely brilliant to be able to play Ajit. It is different from the roles I usually portray on-screen. Hoichoi will create new audiences for Bengali entertainment worldwide.Web is the future and I am glad that I am a part of it.”
“Satyabati is one of my favourite characters in Bengali Literature. I like the different shades present in the character,” saysRidhimaGhosh, who plays Byomkesh’s wife in the web series,always standing by her husband, helping him in his quest for truth. “Though I have played Satyabati before, it is like a new challenge for me this time. I have tried to approach the character thinking what my reaction would have been, if I was her.” Ridhima says, adding that Satyabatiis the perfect counterpart to Byomkesh.
Sayantan Ghoshal, who debuted this year in Tollywood, has lent his prowess as a director to Hoichoi’s Byomkesh Web Series. He spoke of the emphasis being on offering something distinctly different for the Web. “This is a much cooler version of Byomkesh”, Ghoshal says. “We have made a fast-paced thriller Web Series. After all, a large segment of our viewers are the youth’’,he says.
The costumes have been designed by Sabarni Das and Sanchita Bhattacharjee. The look and styling of the characters were finalized keeping in mind the taste and culture of pre and post-colonial Bengal.
Hoichoi will also be launching a social media campaign to promote Byomkesh Original Web Series. Under the campaign, users will be asked to guess the stories that have been featured in the series. Winners will be rewarded with the chance to meet Byomkesh Bakshi a.k.a Anirban Bhattacharya.
SVF is currently shooting a string of Original Shows for Hoichoi, across genres, promising to entertain Bengalis in India and the Bengali diaspora. It will have over 500 movies, Original Web Series and over 800 songs to start with.