Channel: RTV

Directed by: Raihan Khan

Cast: Tariq Anam Khan, Mosharraf Karim, Aa Kha Ma Hasan, Nova Firoze

With a name like "President Sirajuddoula", one can clearly expect what, or who, the show revolves around. However, contrary to my expectations, the show wasn't a historical drama (like that very famous one nowadays) but rather, quite a modern take on Bangladeshi society. To make it clearer, the main character is someone who has taken cosplaying a bit too seriously. He dresses up as the legendary Nawab of Bengal, Siraj ud-Daulah, and fancies being the emperor himself. He has arranged a 'court' where he and his 'empress' sit at nights enjoying songs from 'court musicians' or listening to the requests of the local people. This seems like a very unique concept, and certainly not something I have come across in any Bangla shows as of yet. What's more interesting is that no one (except his sister-in-law) ever points out the so-called Nawab's delusional fantasies, and everyone around him is simply going on with the flow without paying any heed to how ridiculous it all seems. 

The concept alone makes the show an entertaining watch for anyone. The show never really explains why a middle-aged man is genuinely acting as a figure of history. It is never made clear if he is aware of his childishness himself, or exactly why his lackeys are fueling his weird desires even further. One thing that the show does strongly hint is that the 'Nawab' is a man of strong influence and of course, has a lot of money. This kind of explains why his followers are so devoted to making his fantasies come to reality. His most loyal follower even turns out to be a two-faced conspirator who manipulates his powerful boss whenever he needs to. Reference to Mir Jafar perhaps?

Don't let such a puzzling concept distract you from the fact that this is actually a good show. I thoroughly enjoyed all the episodes I have watched, and that's mostly because of the writing and the script. The show has been directed wonderfully, the lines are great and almost none of the characters are flat and stagnant like secondary characters in most other Bangla serials. In fact, most of the focus is put upon the character played by Mosharraf Karim, who is a clever poser trying to take advantage of people with his cunningness. Speaking of actors, Tariq Anam Khan plays his role as the imaginary emperor to perfection, and is certainly the highlight of the whole show. Moreover, the show keeps a constant sense of suspense with steady plot development and impressive characterization, which is simply the icing on the cake.

When I thought about it further, the concept is not too different from what happens in modern society. People follow someone with power and money for their own personal gain, and will do anything to make the dreams of their 'rulers' come true. Maybe the show reflects upon how we never really changed from the times of the Mughal and still follow the same social hierarchy? Maybe that's going too deep. Why not give the show a watch and judge for yourself?

Shams Rashid Tonmoy is a Literature Major who loves to pointlessly analyze TV shows and movies. Recommend him something good (or bad) at [email protected]