Bengali-language streaming platform Hoichoi marked its sixth anniversary by unveiling an impressive lineup of new content for the upcoming year. This includes a new segment, Best of Bengal, and an expansion of its World Classics section that features literary adaptations from Bengal and around the world.

Literary adaptations

The Best of Bengal segment will kick off with the adaptation of Saradindu Bandyopadhyay’s novel, Durgo Rawhoshyo, directed by Srijit Mukherji and starring Anirban Bhattacharya as sleuth Byomkesh Bakshi. Sohini Sarkar will play Byomkesh’s wife Satyabati, while Rahul Bandyopadhyay will slip into the shoes of his friend Ajit. The second release is an adaptation of Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay’s Parineeta, directed by Aditi Roy and featuring Debchandrima Singha Roy.

The World Classics segment will have a Shakespeare adaptation — Talmar Romeo Juliet, helmed by Arpan Garai and Durbar Sharma. Anirban Bhattacharya will be the creative director for this project.

Star debuts

Hoichoi announced the OTT debut of a bunch of well-known names from the Bengali film industry. Among these are Mimi Chakraborty, Chiranjeet Chakraborty and Debasree Roy. Mimi will star alongside Tota Roy Choudhury in Chandrasish Ray’s Jaha Bolibo Shotto Bolibo, in the roles of a prosecutor and defense lawyer, respectively.

Chiranjeet’s OTT debut will be an adaptation of Souvik Chakraborty’s horror novel, Parnashavarir Shaap, directed by Parambrata Chattopadhyay. Debasree will star in Sourav Chakraborty’s Chemistry Mashi, where she plays a vlogger who shares her love for chemistry through cooking tutorials.

New shows

The ones to watch out are Dadur Kirti, which has Paran Bandyopadhyay playing a grandfather who tries to reunite his scattered family, and Ekushey Paa — a modern retelling of Bani Basu’s novel on the lives of students, directed by Aritra Sen and presented by Parambrata Chattopadhyay. Debaloy Bhattacharya, the director of Indubala Bhaater Hotel, will be back with a new show, Modhyoraater Opera.

Priyanka Sarkar will star in Aditi Roy-helmed Lajja, based on a research paper by Samragnee Bandyopadhyay. The show will explore the impact of verbal abuse on a marriage. Ritwik Chakraborty will be playing a lawyer in a new series, Advocate Achinta Aich, directed by Joydeep Mukherjee.

Some popular series are returning with fresh seasons; these include Sampurna, Eken, Indu, Gobhir Joler Maach, Noshtoneer, Dakghor, Gora, Rajneeti, Bodhon and Nikhoj.

Expansion in other languages

Hoichoi is also exploring opportunities to make content available in more languages, such as Hindi, Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam. While dubbed versions of the platform’s original shows are available on various streamers, some of its shows are getting adapted in other languages as well. For starters, the Hoichoi series Indu is getting a Telugu-language adaptation, while Sampurna will be recreated in Hindi for Disney+ Hotstar.

Watch Hoichoi’s content slate for the seventh year here: