For the quintessential Bengali, rain has held romantic allure since time immemorial. There is a certain charm in the way the city transforms itself under dark monsoon clouds that brings to mind the wistful poetry of Tagore, the evocative strains of Rabindrasangeet, and scenes of lovers walking hand-in-hand along the misty banks of the Hooghly. For us, the rains are not just conditions of the weather but a season that fosters a deep sense of nostalgia; monsoon today has transcended everything else to become a muse that nurtures the Bengali love for creation, art, literature, and, above all, romance.
The trailer of the upcoming Addatimes web series Dekhechi Tomake Srabone was launched at Tall Tales, Fort Knox on Camac Street on September 18. Present were director Arijeet Toton Chakraborty, lead pair Soumya Mukherjee and Neha Amandeep, Tulika Basu, Aditya Bakshi, Buddhadeba Bhattacharya, and Bharat Kaul, who all play pivotal roles in the series. The music and script teams were also present to share their thoughts.
The series tells the story of Rudra (Soumya) and Ira (Neha), who each bear their own cross and are united after many a rainy day. Rudra, the son of a big promoter (Bharat), defends Ira after his father sends thugs to her house to force her and her family to surrender the property to him. Meanwhile, Ira, who lives with her parents-in-law after the untimely death of her husband (Aditya), is equally adamant about saving the house and won’t be swayed by force or power. Still grieving her husband and not open to romance, she rejects Rudra multiple times before he truly proves his intentions to her, going as far as to reprimand his father for her sake. The leads both go through well-defined character arcs in the story, with Rudra evolving from a conflicted son to a man of principles willing to defy his own father, and Ira transitioning from a grieving widow to a resilient woman ready to usher in a new chapter in her life. Ultimately, the narrative is about seizing opportunities and embracing second chances as the duo overcomes personal barriers and societal pressures to find redemption and hope in each other.
The trailer launch was followed by observations from the cast and crew, who praised Arijeet’s direction, the story itself, and the music, which has already been raking in views on the YouTube charts.
Speaking at the launch, Arijeet said, “This is, plain and simple, a love story. Addatimes has planned to bring some love stories to audiences because we have seen a recent inclination towards crime thrillers being streamed on OTT. Our team wanted to do something different: to bring out a love story, which as a genre is currently not being made as much. That was our main goal. The story centres around the rains, wherein the monsoon of Calcutta and the innate romance in it play very central roles. We hope we have managed to bring our goals to fruition.”
Tulika added, “This is my first web series for Addatimes. The name of the series itself is beautiful because in Calcutta, we automatically equate the rain with romance. The story is quite heavy and while shooting I kept wondering why this wasn’t being made as a movie! Regardless, I hope everyone watches and enjoys the show. We have worked very hard on it.”
“This is my second time working with Toton and I feel blessed and relevant because the directors of this generation are in a league of their own. There’s a lot to learn from Toton, especially because timelines today are constantly decreasing. When I first started working, it would take 50 to 60 days to make a film, now it takes 17 or 18 days to make a film and 11 days to make a series. The real captain of the ship is Arijeet, so I am very thankful to him. When they cast people like us, then we understand that we are still relevant and we try to keep doing good work and do our best,” remarked Bharat.
“I play villains mostly so the fact that Toton gave me this challenge, to play a good guy for a change, is something I am grateful for. This was a fulfilling part to play and an even better experience to shoot. I believe that I have done my best for this series. I have worked with Addatimes twice before and I thought this time we needed a good love story. There is a villain in this story who turns into a hero by the end: these are not characters or stories we get to see very often. Because they are not made very often,” said Buddhadeba.
The lead pair of the series also made their gratitude known. “After doing Pariah, I started hearing from well-wishers that they didn’t want me to get typecast as a villain. I got the call for this series in April, and I was worried too, because actors do tend to get typecast after a certain point. I’d like to thank Arijeetda for giving me this opportunity because this was a very interesting character to play. There is a change in this character by the end of the story. He spends his childhood amidst a lot of gun violence but even in the midst of all that, he is basically a very good guy and he single-mindedly loves this girl he meets. Stories like these are the need of the hour. It is a love story, which is very rare on OTT these days, and I am very happy to have been part of it,” said Soumya.
Dekhechi Tomake Srabone also marks its heroine’s first foray into the web series genre. “Many thanks are due to Arijeetda for this opportunity. This is my first web series, and I’m very grateful for this chance. My favourite season is monsoon, which is the season of love. Ira is a very complex character who goes through a lot in the series but then comes the hero into her life, who sweeps her off her feet and helps her embrace herself again. I hope everyone watches the show and gives it a lot of love,” said Neha.
Dekhechi Tomake Srabone will be available to watch on Addatimes from September 27.