Embracing your inner geek

Shakib Chowdhury, Gibran Tanwir, Alif Alauddin and Farooq Shams – four friends who had set out on a lighthearted journey of talking about pop culture, have inadvertently started one of the most popular web shows in Bangladesh, Geek Myth. Having begun as a show which revolved around the hosts' love for cinema, comics and other pop culture phenomena from outside the country, the crew is now delivering reviews and talks about Bangladeshi films as well. “Before we started the show, we were just film geeks and Alif was the only person in the group that initiated the talks about music,” says Cryptic Fate frontman Shakib Chowdhury. “Initially, I wanted to tinker with the idea of a web-based show, drawing inspiration from Collider, and told the others to watch it. When we started Geek Myth, the first two episodes were shot in Farooq's house!”

Having 72 episodes as of yet, the series is now a fan favourite on the internet. When the show made the jump to radio, it was a turnaround for the geeks. “Our show on Dhaka FM helped us become more organised as a crew, since we had to follow a certain time limit and discipline,” says Alif Alauddin, who is a popular singer and a co-host in another renowned show, Music Buzz. Even though the shift to radio gave Geek Myth a much-needed sense of direction, the limitations pushed the crew to go the indie way again.

The current product has taken a weekly format, while the show lasts anywhere between 40 minutes to an hour. Besides the videos, the earnest and sometimes controversial reviews written by Shakib Chowdhury also make sporadic appearances. “When Shakib reviewed Aquaman, and he absolutely hated it, we all got a lot of hate from people,” says Gibran Tanwir. “However, that is the essence of criticism. You can have differing opinions, and trust me, we have many fights amongst ourselves because of it.”

The people at Geek Myth hope that they can start a new trend of honest criticism in the Bangladeshi film and music industries. “I'm not saying that we will single-handedly change the industry. In fact, we will be more than happy if more people follow this format and put forth their own opinions, as long as they are honest.” says Farooq Shams. In response to a comment about the crew having come a long way since their inception in 2017, Shakib fittingly replied, “We haven't come a long way at all. In fact, there's a long way to go for us and hopefully you will all join the journey.”