Karagar 2: Who is the mystery prisoner?

Panic breaks out as a prisoner is discovered in cell no. 145 of Akashnagar central jail, which has been shut for the past 50 years. In Karagar's seven episodes, the Hoichoi original series, the first season leaves us with many unanswered questions. 

Full of fragments, the story is like pieces of a scattered jigsaw puzzle. Drawing subplots that include the main characters' personal trauma, some of the dots seem to be connected, but the centrepiece remains the biggest mystery: who is this unregistered mystery man, and how does he end up in the cell? 

Taqdeer famed director Syed Ahmed Shawki makes the series gripping with suspense intensifying in every episode, but the ending is so abrupt, unexpected, and intriguing that it feels incomplete, almost like not drinking water after a full meal. 

Although the casting was extremely befitting, the characters are not fleshed out properly, which makes the audience scratch their heads in a guessing game. New characters might be introduced if the story demands, said Farin. Ahead of the release of Karagar 2, we are delving back in to explore and theorise about some of the unanswered questions.

Who is David Adams? 

Tasnia Farin as Maha discovered a book with the mystery man's photo and name, David Adams, on the cover. As the book blurb reads, David Adams was born in Bangladesh in 1972 and raised in Quebec by Celia Adams, an American-Canadian pianist, and Bernard Adams, a French-American professor. He earned his BA and MA in History and PhD in Linguistics from the University of British Columbia. He's now a history professor at Quebec University. David's postdoctoral studies focused on the history of the Indian subcontinent. He produced many articles tracing back to his roots. 'The Black Sheep of 1971' is an anthology of his articles. 

This synopsis justifies his depth in history and his linguistic genius. It also hints that Adams is a war child. He and Maha most likely share the same mother. He has come to find his biological mother and give her justice. Gulzar acted by Jayant Chatterjee and Mohabbat by Afzal Hossain might be the Black Sheep of 1971.

From his history expertise he knows that there is a secret passage to the cell and that is how he gets there to either kill or save Gulzar, the man with a cat. If Gulzar, referred to as Murobbi, is Maha's father, Adams is here to get him out of jail. However, if that is true, Adams had Al Amin Shikder killed because he is probably the rapist of his mother.

Who is working with Adams? 

The mystery prisoner, aka David Adams, is obviously not alone; rather he has a whole gang working for him. Starting with Shatabdi Wadud as father Alfred, there is a possibility that they grew up together in the church before the foreigners adopted David, evidenced by Maha finding the photo of the group of babies in Alfred's room. 

The person who took the troublemaking video of a woman entering the jail could be Mostak's son Sajib, played by Partho Sheikh. Because of the fact that he is frustrated and scared of his condition, he might be desperate enough to work with the mystery man. 

Also, there is the new police officer who discovered the prisoner at cell 145 in the first place. Maha's boyfriend can also be a pawn in David's game. Finally Tanvin Sweety as the mysterious woman in the burqa, who played no active role, looks to be a significant part of the puzzle. 

On the other hand, the story of Afzal Hossen has not unravelled much in the first season. He appeared to be the wisest man in the whole story, who knows everything but doesn't speak up. Does he know what's going on? Maybe. 

Then again, where does Maha's pregnancy fit in the entire story? Who exactly is that woman in burqa? Who sends Mostak (Intekhab Dinar) the letter saying "the son lives as long as the father does"? Does Ashfaque (FS Nayeem) have some clue in those files?

What does director Syed Ahmed Shawki and actor Chanchal Chowdhury have to say about all of this?

"I can be seen in the second season of Karagar in two completely different forms, although I cannot share any of the details just yet," said Chanchal Chowdhury. "All I can say is that the way the story unfolds, the audience will be impressed. I think good stories and productions always attract an audience. Karagar is one such example." 

"Through Karagar I wanted to tell a story that has not come up much, but deep within the story lies a bitter truth. I am overwhelmed by the way the audience from home and abroad have embraced Karagar. We believe that the second season will live up to the audience's expectations," said director Syed Ahmed Shawki.

Thankfully we don't have to wait too long to have all of our questions answered. Season l 2 releases today, 22 December, on Hoichoi.