Creating an iconic, humane character
"It takes a writer or a filmmaker almost a lifetime or so—to create an iconic character," Ashfaque Nipun, the creator of the top-notch cop crime thriller web-series, "Mohanagar".
OC Harun's character has definitely become one of the most iconic ones in Bangla OTT, which is evident especially after season two of the show.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. While sharing his experience of working on the second season, the director told The Daily Star that it was the toughest project of his career. "Keeping up with the audience's expectation is extremely tough, and challenging," asserts Nipun, "I could have continued the second season as an explainer to the previous one, rather I took the risk and propelled the entire story to another tangent, which might have failed significantly. I had to take the risk."
The bold and honest portrayal of the contemporary political and social scenario definitely took a lot of courage. The metaphors used in the show convey some strong messages against oppression.
"From the sense of moral duty and as an artiste, I am liable to society to capture the time I am living in. Although it is extremely challenging, yet, it will remain as a reflection of contemporary times, be it in the form of fiction," says Nipun.
Even though the first season's ending hinted at another, Nipun mentioned that it was actually the audience whose reaction and demands brought OC Harun back. "I am blessed to have been able to create such a character and at the same time, to have Mosharraf Karim, one of the finest actors of our time, play it."
How did the character come to his mind? "All of us share a lot of similarities and qualities with him," explains Nipun.
OC Harun's character lingers in grey; he is equally humane and corrupted. "We can consider him as the culmination of everyone around us. He has strength and limitations as well, and most of all, he possesses the unique trait that we have as a nation—to be kind and tough at the same time."
Harun's vulnerable nature managed to make a place in the audience's hearts, who are eagerly waiting to see the full consequences of his actions. How far can the character go? "Well, only 5 percent of the OC's persona has been explored, we have the other 95 percent still unexplored, thus there is a huge scope of experimenting with this character further."
It begs the question; will we see a season 3 of "Mohanagar"? The director answers with a mysterious smile, "The beauty of most web-series is that they are character-driven, rather than plot-driven. Any character can come back at any point. There is that flexibility. No character is gone forever. The door is always open for them to return. Let's hope that the story of "Mohanagar" continues."
Nipun also confirmed that he will indeed be gearing up for his silver-screen debut. "I am planning for it, and for the big screen, I would love to make something light-hearted," he adds.
Amidst all kinds of criticism, "Mohanagar" proved to be a landmark in the OTT industry, that will have an impact in the long run. "If we can open the avenue for liberal discussions and constructive criticism, especially to the visual mediums, then it will be essentially good for our own culture and the world will know us as broad-minded and adaptable," he concludes.
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