Punorjonmo 2: A chilling and intriguing ride

Continuing Rafsan and Nila's story, Vicky Zahed's "Punorjonmo 2" aired on Channel i recently. The sequel to the much-appreciated Eid special tele-fiction  "Punorjonmo" from Vicky Zahed's "Jonmo" series, it was later released on the official YouTube channel of Channel i. Upon its release on YouTube, "Ponorjonmo 2" started trending on the video sharing platform.

Entwining subjects like cannibalism, doppelgangers, and vengeance, "Punorjonmo 2" picks up on the unforeseen monstrous side of  Chef Rafsan Haque (played by Afran Nisho), the dilemmas of Rokeya  (played by Mehazabien Chowdhury), the revenge of Niloy ( played by Khairul Basar) and the doubts of Borsha (played by Quazi Nawshaba Ahmed).

Mehazabien Chowdhury and Quazi Nawshaba Ahmed in Punorjonmo 2.

"I had this story ready when I started working on 'Punorjonmo' but I was worried about whether our audience will be able to accept such dark themes," shares Zahed. "I decided to end the first instalment of the series on a slightly subtle note, when it came to projecting Rafsan's inner being, and was waiting for the audience's reaction before developing his character for the sequel."

While the first production deals with Rokeya's character all the way till the climax, Rafsan takes over the show in the second instalment, unveiling his brutal and vicious side.

"Only a fragment of Rafsan's character was revealed in the first instalment, but I was willing to give all for presenting Rafsan as his real self in the sequel," adds Zahed. "I was also looking to give more ground for my viewers this time. As a result, I decided to drop clues and craft multiple twists instead of just ending with a final blow."

Afran Nisho playing the iconic character of Rafsan Haque.

The production stirred up positive reactions shortly after release and Nisho's dialogue "Rafsan Haque er ranna kharap hotei pare na" soon went to become a part of memes, comments, and posts online.

"I like characters that lets me explore and playing an antagonist leaves me with more ground to experiment on," shares Afran Nisho. "Each character, be it negative or positive, offers something to learn from and I am overwhelmed how the audience has accepted Rafsan's duality and transition."

Projecting a completely different personality. Afran Nisho brought about a new side of Rafsan which was unexplored by the audience in "Punorjonmo".

"Speaking of accomplices in crime, Rafsah Haque confides in his audience and shares his thoughts with them without any hesitation. Only the audience knows about Rafsan's atrocities and lets him get away with it," laughs Afran Nisho.

Starting from his body language, facial expressions, to his overall behaviour, Rafsan transforms completely in the second edition of this production.

Mehazabien Chowdhury and Afran Nisho in Punorjonmo 2.

"This time, Rafsan was more open in terms of projecting his real personality and thoughts as the audience knew that he is the mastermind but the other characters did not. The blending and balancing of the varied shade in the same character is what challenged and excited me," adds the "Buker Ba Pashe" famed actor.

Rokeya's character transformation from being a confident con artiste to an anxious and scared victim helps give way to build upon the evilness of Rafsan, and also justifies Niloy's grudge (played by Khairul Basar).

Afran Nisho and Khairul Basar in Punorjonto 2.

The character of Niloy drops as a surprise as the director managed to keep Khairul Basar completely off the limelight during promotions. "I am willing to compromise on publicity to build up on content and that's why we kept Basar's presence concealed before the release," mentions Zahed.

Niloy, being the only new character in "Punorjonmo 2", comes off as a pawn in the plot until the climax. "I always had Basar in mind for this role, as I wanted to see two of my favourite actors together," shares Zahed, who had previously worked with Khairul Basar in the much-appreciated Bongo original fiction "Charer Master", among others.

Fan art by Dipro Ghosh and Sudarshana Bose from India. Photos: Courtesy of Vicky Zahed

"Punorjonmo 2 had a better reception than its first instalment," says the director. "Usually sequels fail to meet audience expectations, but I am glad that this time, the sequel brought me more love than the first part from people both at home and abroad."

Zahed has already announced the third instalment of the series. "I hope to come up with another remarkable addition to this series, as the hopes this time are even higher," he concludes.