5 contemporary Bengali web series you should consider watching

Lately, Bengali OTT platforms have created much buzz over Bengali web content in contrast to traditional TV shows, especially among millennials and gen-z viewers. Here is a list of 5 contemporary Bengali web series featuring intriguing storylines you may consider putting on your watchlist.

Mohanagar

Mohanagar is a crime thriller consisting of eight episodes showing a seven hours long period inside a police station.

One night, Afnan Chowdhury, son of an influential industrialist went to the Kotwali police station in Dhaka after being involved in a hit-and-run accident. Harun, the officer in charge, was on duty that night, and he was tasked to save Afnan from this mess in exchange for money. But as the story progresses, it takes surprising turns.

The series has boasted a gripping story that shows the deep-rooted corruption, misuse of power and money, and sufferings of common people. The last episode takes the whole story to an unexpected stage and sets the floor for another exciting season.

Mohanagar, starring Mosharraf Karim as the OC Harun, is available on Hoichoi, a popular online video streaming platform.

Taqdeer

Taqdeer, an eight-episode long web series, chronicles the story of a freezer van driver named Taqdeer who mysteriously finds the dead body of a journalist in his van. Finding himself in a hopeless mess, he tries to find a way to get rid of this situation on his own in the muck of deceit and lawlessness.

Featuring Chanchal Chowdhury as the protagonist of the series, it forward whirls through interesting twists and turns, and every character gradually adds clues and reveals the main story behind the dead body. Some prevailing issues of our society and political atrocities have also been shown in this series.

You can watch this entertaining yet thought-provoking series on the OTT platform Hoichoi.

August 14

The series was inspired by a true and horrific incident that happened back in 2013 when a police officer and his wife were killed by their own daughter. On the 14th August of 2013, the teenager murdered her own parents, and three days later, she surrendered herself to police and confessed her crime.

Tasnuva Tisha played Tushi, the character of the teenager in this series, and gave a commendable performance. It portrays how Tushi's life was before committing the crime, her relationship with her parents, and the aftermath of it.

You can find it on Binge, a local streaming service.

Contract

This web series is an action-packed political thriller starring Chanchal Chowdhury and Arifin Shuvoo. It is based on a much-appreciated novel titled 'Contract' from the 'Beg Bastard' series written by Bangladeshi writer Mohammad Nazim Uddin.

The six-episode series is about the murky world of politics and how some powerful people create contract killers for their personal benefit. Dreaded don Black Ronju has returned to Bangladesh after 15 years. The National Security Agency makes a plan to grab him, while a semi-retired politician decides to take the help of an assassin.

To know who gets to Black Ronju first or more about stories of people evolving this mission, watch 'Contract' on Zee5.

The series adaptation may not seem up to the mark as the novel for viewers, especially for those who have read the novel beforehand. However, it is a good watch based on the dramatic and thrilling storyline.

Ladies and Gentlemen

The eight-episode series addresses some sensitive social issues including gender inequality, sexual harassment, patriarchy, and so on. Sabila Hossain, played by Tasnia Farin, falls prey to the lust of her boss. When she decides to file a complaint against her boss after being sexually harassed, the culture of victim-blaming and misogyny becomes more evident.

No doubt that Tasnia stands out as the protagonist, but the character Laura starring Maria Nur also depicts an interesting role where she is torn between her father's love and her sympathy for another woman.

'Ladies and Gentlemen' is also available on the OTT platform Zee5.