Kaiser: Afran Nisho’s most stellar performance to date?

Afran Nisho starrer "Kaiser" has been the talk of the town since its release on July 8. Released on Hoichoi, the series follows the tale of Kaiser Chowdhury, homicide detective who works in the Detective Branch.

Featuring a star-studded cast of Reekita Nondine Shimu, Mostafizur Noor Imran, Imtiaz Barshon, Shatabdi Wadud, among others.

The show starts off with a mysterious double murder that Kaiser has been assigned to investigate. This is the first case Kaiser has been handed since his suspension, and he seems to be in a sink or swim situation depending on the eventual outcome of the case.

While you'd think that this another crime-thriller/detective story that has been made for OTT—and at times it does stray down that narrative— "Kaiser" is so much more than that. At its heart, the show covers themes of people's insecurities, mental health issues, addiction and the darkness of humanity. The director's ability to portray Dhaka as the dark and mysterious city that we sometimes forget it is, was truly remarkable.

The highlight of the show is definitely Afran Nisho's performance as the titular character. His ability to be the likeable lead character, while also showcasing his own flaws and shortcomings as a father, friend, (ex) husband and detective all come together to make a brilliant performance. At the heart of the character of Kaiser, is his video game addiction which almost cripples his social relationships. However, the show did a great job of portraying video game addiction without it becoming another PSA warning about how video games are bad.

One scene in particular, which features Kaiser, his ex-wife, and two best friends—one of whom is married to Kaiser's ex-wife—where all of them are arguing over petty topics and questioning Kaiser's ability to be a good father, friend and husband is a fantastic scene that showcases the different character dynamics in the show. This scene was apparently captured in just one shot, and improvised by the actors.

Another character that viewers will definitely love is Barrister, played by Imtiaz Barshon. When discussing this show with another colleague, we both noted that the character is almost a Bangladeshi version of Moriarty—Sherlock Holmes' greatest nemesis. Barrister's cool and collected persona, in combination with his ability to eloquently express himself, definitely added an immense value to the show.

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"Kaiser" also makes great use of its soundtrack, including songs from Karnival, Arekta Rock Band, EIDA and Petty Never Grew. In particular, the use of "Control Room" by Karnival was a great addition to the episode where the song is featured. Petty Never Grew's "Pink Song" was also a nice and sweet way of ending the final episode of the show.

Spanning a total of nine episodes, "Kaiser" brings to the table incredible cinematography paired with a performance of a lifetime from Afran Nisho. If you're tired of watching the typical Goyenda series available on OTTs, then "Kaiser" can be that fresh breath of air that you have been looking for.