Bengali language streaming services got a major boost with Bangladesh’s popular streaming platform Chorki officially announcing its entry into the Indian OTT market on October 4. The announcement was made at a lavish launch programme hosted at The Oberoi Grand and attended by the who’s who of the film fraternity from both sides of Bengal’s border with Bangladesh. Well-known filmmakers from Bengal including Srijit Mukherji, Kaushik Ganguly, and Arindam Sil were present, along with actors Rituparna Sengupta, Swastika Mukherjee, Ritwick Chakraborty, Sohini Sarkar and Saurav Das, who lent their support to the event. Eminent filmmakers and actors from Bangladesh also graced the occasion.

In Bangladesh, Chorki began its operations in July 2021 and has produced more than three dozen originals so far. With a tagline ‘Made in Bangladesh for the World’, it is committed to international production standards and already boasts users from 194 countries.

With this launch, subscribers from India will be able to pay for their Chorki subscription in Indian currency. The launch also makes it possible for Chorki to create and provide Indian-made Bengali content, thus opening up endless opportunities for production houses in Bengal. Apart from this, Bengali content produced in Bangladesh, including Bengali films, web series and dubbed foreign language content will also be available to users as before. Collaborative efforts between Bangladesh and Bengal’s production houses are also on the cards. It was also announced that 30 originals including films, series and anthologies from Bangladesh and an equal number from Bengal are in the works and will be rolled out in the near future.

Head of content of Chorki’s India operations, Anindo Banerjee, called the launch a momentous event that will usher in an era of rich, high-quality content in diverse genres.

Chorki CEO Redoan Rony, who is also a filmmaker, said, ”Content is the philosophy and the common connect between the two Bengals and is the force that drives this new initiative. We will also keep in mind the unique loyalties and preferences of viewers on both sides of the border when providing any content.”

“Bangladesh is producing really high-quality content and the introduction of Chorki in Bengal is in fact an opportunity for us to learn from them. It will also bring about a growth and expansion of the market, which is very important for any industry,” said Shrikant Mohta, who was also present on the occasion.

Srijit Mukherji shared the stage with renowned Bangladeshi filmmaker Mostofa Sarwar Farooki (right) for a stimulating conversation on the latter's internationally acclaimed works

Before that, the Dawshom Awbotaar director addressed the gathering on the launch of Chorki in India. "As I have been witness to the inception and rise of Hoichoi, I know exactly how tough it is for Chorki to start this initiative, which can also be very risky. I congratulate Chorki on their fantastic endeavour. At the same time, I am confident that what unites Bengalis from both sides of the border, is the greatness of our shared stories, which is far more powerful than the divide that the Radcliffe Line achieved. So I am very optimistic that their stories will resonate with audiences here," he said.

Chorki India content head Anindo Banerjee (left) and CEO Redoan Rony interacted with the media and spoke in detail about the streaming platform's plans

Arindam Sil with Srijit Mukherji

"As a Chorki subscriber already, I can vouch that its content is outstanding. It is already the leading OTT platform in Bangladesh and its launch here is an encouraging sign for all of us. The more content we are exposed to, the more inspired we will be to make better films. So it's a win-win situation for all of us," said Sil.

(l-r) Bangladeshi actress Tama Mirza with Swastika Mukherjee, Rituparna Sengupta

"OTT platforms are revolutionising content everywhere and obviously I am very excited about the launch of Chorki. I am eagerly waiting for an opportunity to do some really good work with them," said Swastika.