Karagar: Shawki not too shabby 

Until recently, a thriller web series with an original storyline was unheard of in Bangladesh. That all changed with the release of Taqdeer on Hoichoi. Both the performance of the cast and the story garnered praise all around.

Soon after its release the local scene changed completely. Since then, we have seen the likes of Unloukik, Boli, Mahanagar, Contract and Kaiser, to name a few. However, despite the growing numbers of such shows, not too many Bangladesh-based thriller series were as acclaimed as Taqdeer.

Taqdeer famed director Syed Ahmed Shawki has returned for another collaboration with Chanchal Chowdhury in Karagar. We see Chanchal mysteriously show up in a cell that has been empty for over 50 years due to horrible incidents. The nameless prisoner, a seemingly mute person who claims to have been confined for 250 years, is introduced in the series as the killer of Mir Jafar, the infamous traitor of Palashi. 

With a slow start to the series, Intekhab Dinar is portrayed as an exhausted lawman having his hands full with his job and family. The mysterious inmate affects him, his friend and other inmates in different ways. Is the nameless prisoner a fraudster? Or is he telling the truth? The suspense that grips the audience in the second half of the series is a result of masterful execution.

Chanchal has shown his acting prowess throughout the series. Just his facial expressions alone were a testament to the fact that he is a brilliant actor. Additionally, the versatile yet underrated Intekhab Dinar also exhibited the full range of his acting talent throughout the seven episodes. Although both Dinar and Chanchal gave commendable performances, some of the supporting cast could have done better.

The strong points of this seven-episode mystery/thriller series were its story and pacing. The story kept its audience guessing until the very end, almost misleading the viewers. And it did so while building a universe full of interesting and dubious characters. Karagar was gripping from the beginning to the very last moment.

Then again, as a viewer, I would say a tight script narrated at a breakneck speed is both a blessing and a curse for Karagar. Since the story moves forward while introducing a new subplot in almost every episode, not all of the characters are fleshed out properly. Perhaps the second part will justify this decision. 

Veteran actors like Jayanta Chattopadhyay, Afzal Hossain and Shatabdi Wadud were largely unused throughout the first part. Neamoth Ullah Masum deserves a special mention for providing a 'lean and thin' screenplay free of unnecessary dialogue.

The final verdict about how good of a series Karagar is will largely depend on its second instalment. The ending to season one is only just the beginning, as the audiences are taken back to square one when the first part wraps up. I for one cannot wait to get my questions answered, but expectations do need to be kept in check. 

Is Karagar on par with Taqdeer? I doubt it. Nevertheless, it is ambitious for what it aspires to be and the sequel may hold the right answer to that question. 

Karagar is available for streaming on Hoichoi.