Syed Ahmed Shawki: “We are not big shots yet, we need time”

A few recent OTT releases are restoring faith in the entertainment industry of Bangladesh. While production continues, only a handful are truly making the difference- for instance, the talk of the town is HoiChoi's latest mystery series 'Karagar'. It is being considered as one of the best OTT series made so far. But the director, Syed Ahmed Shawki, is skeptical about that statement. 

He said, "I think people have to see the second part to truly make that statement. It will reveal everything and I think that's when I will be waiting for the true verdict."

"Season 1 was filled with so much mystery and has left too many things unsolved. You see, telling a story for three hours and not bringing a solution was definitely a risky proposition. Now that this has gained so much love, as great as that feels, we also know that the second part will get more eyeballs. And so, the pressure is on!"

Syed Ahmed Shawki received appreciation for his phenomenal direction during 'Taqdeer', one of the most watched and appreciated mystery and thriller-crime series. He was also one of the writers. Before 'Taqdeer', Shawki also co-directed 'Sincerely Yours, Dhaka', which competed for Oscars 2021.

Shawki finished his undergrad in Economics and Master's in Development Studies from BRAC University. He was always a cinema lover but was not interested in becoming a part of this field. However, Shawki was always curious to know how films are made. "Education is like breathing, and like water- it is essential nonetheless. You can study anything in the world, you can still end up doing something else. Education only gives you a perspective, it does not really help you make all the decisions."

The director mentioned how the entire series was already written before season 1. After the end result, they decided on which parts to put in season 1 and also decided to answer the questions in season 2. "During inception, we only thought- A mysterious man wakes up in prison, claiming to be immortal. But is he? We only answered the questions that were raised during the trailers. What will be put in part 1 was decided after we were done with the story for part 2. So everything you see in season 1, is an establishing scene of another scene in season 2."

Shawki and Chanchal have worked together in 'Taqdeer'. Chanchal once again, the protagonist of 'Karagar' received applause for his role, further proving his versatility. Shawki agrees, "Chanchal Chowdhury is one of the finest actors of this time. I know he is multiskilled and will carry this role fantastically. But I did not know if he will be up for is as you know from the trailer that his role is of a deaf and dumb man in the first season."

The casting of 'Karagar' included veteran actors such as Afzal Hossain, Jayanta Chattopadhyay, and Shatabdi Wadud. Intekhab Dinar was also an essential part of the cast and has excelled in his role. Shawki mentions, "I wanted experienced actors, gems of the TV, who have contributed so much over the years- but most importantly, I needed to work with artists who do not have egos and understand the process of critical stories such as this. I wanted to be comfortable with the actors. They were easy to work with and supportive."

"I had to shoot 500 pages of the script and I needed actors who were open to that. These excellent artists were so open to the risk and ambiguity of the series that they were the perfect fit" added Shawki. 

When a director makes a hit, they are always under pressure to work on another project. Shawki took time to work on 'Karagar' and he believes this helped with shaping the outcome, "We are not big shots yet, we need time. I guess because we got the time to enhance and work on this project, we landed somewhere." 

Shawki appreciates the risk taken by HoiChoi's head of content at the time- Anindo Banerjee, who in a 3 minutes phone call agreed to trust Shawki's idea regarding 'Karagar'. "It is his credit to have trusted me. I then worked on the whole thing after pitching the idea and knowing he is also taking a huge risk trusting me to this extent. I only had a one liner, I did not have a story. I kept them on hold and came back with a story in 6 months."

"My process is fixing my deadline and I will push it to the end of the world if needed till the result is proper. I need to be happy with the result. No work is perfected in a rush. Anindo Banerjee kept assuring me, kept patience, and told me that they are with me in this process" 

'Taqdeer' was a thriller-crime series which was a massive hit among the OTT audience and beyond. 'Karagar' also gave major thrill and mystery vibes. On asking if this kind of story is Shawki's forte, he replied, "Not really. I came to the forefront in this industry because I made a love story. I wrote a poetic love story, under the series 'Osthir Shomoy Shostir Golpo' where my drama's name was 'Kotha Hobe Toh?', which is available on Bioscope."

"I am eager to test out all other genres. I want to make dramas, as long as the plot is strong enough. My forte is telling a story that is inspired by either a contemporary theme or something from History- social stories are my forte. 'Karagar' will have a social impact. In 'Taqdeer' too, there is a social impact, even though it is through a thrill. Suspense or thrill is merely a tool for me, to tell a bigger story."