Proof that not all books should be adapted into films
Adapted from Bangladeshi author Mohammad Nazim Uddin’s novel of the same name, this web series has nine episodes and was released on India-based OTT platform Hoichoi on 13 August
If you think a thriller is all about a murder case and the same old story, "Rabindranath Ekhane Kwakhono Khete Aashenni" has a unique plot for you.
Adapted from Bangladeshi author Mohammad Nazim Uddin's novel of the same name, this web series has nine episodes and was released on India-based OTT platform Hoichoi on 13 August.
The story unfolds in a restaurant with the same name as the title, which is situated in a distal area called Sundarpur.
Five people went missing after going to the restaurant and interestingly, all of them had one thing in common - they were supposed to meet the owner of the place, Muskan Juberi (Azmeri Haque Badhon).
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Muskan Juberi is a middle-aged widow. Her character is very ominous. Even the house she lives in is strictly restricted.
Mysteries start unfolding surrounding her character when she calls Falu, an undertaker, for a task, which is to dig graves in advance of murders, as he can predict deaths.
Prominent Bollywood actor Rahul Bose's portrayal of journalist Nirupam Chanda is a brilliant addition to the cast. He arrives at Sundarpur from Calcutta to investigate the case of these mysterious deaths.
Actor Anirban Bhattacharya, as a local informer of the police, delivered a brilliant performance alongside Rahul Bose.
Veteran actor Anjan Dutta did not disappoint either by playing Kharaj Khashnobish, a professor of Criminology.
While watching any adapted work, what matters is if you have previously read the book. And that is mandatory for this series by Srijit Mukherji as well.
There is a possibility that you may not find the series as exciting as the fiction. Although the plot is well written and the actors performed well, it is eventually a story which is better left to the viewers' imagination. Turning such a story into a film is not always worth the effort.
There are a few bold visuals in the series. At one point, the screen is filled with a bunch of survivors from a plane crash, eating human flesh by cutting into dead bodies, due to extreme hunger.
In this scene, everyone's acting alongside Badhon's appeared absolutely fake. A message appears on the screen that says: The following scene contains some extremely graphic and disturbing visuals that may be traumatising to some members of the audience.
And it really was.
The climax is disappointing and fails to imitate the thrill of the fiction.
The title sounds as if it is a tribute to Rabindranath Tagore. But the incompetent use of Tagore songs every now and then to create mystery seemed forced. Also, the series has been unnecessarily stretched to nine episodes.
Srijeet Mukherjee's works are always regarded highly in both Bangladesh and India. This time, the excitement was even greater due to the brilliant cast and plot of the series. But the creator failed to live upto the high expectations this time.
Movies are consistently being adapted from novels. Some of them are good while some are mediocre. But "Rabindranath Ekhane Kawkhono Khete Aashenni'' is proof that not all works of literature should be turned into films.
Some stories are beautiful only on pages, allowing the visual to be left to the readers' imagination.
