The journey of the Hoichoi web series Byadh (streaming from February 11) began way back in 2020, during the first lockdown. Director Abhirup Ghosh came across a review of the book, Kolkata Noir, by Rajarshi Das Bhowmik, and was highly intrigued by the plot description. “The very concept of serial killing of sparrows got me hooked. Failing to find any purchase options, I contacted the writer, who was kind enough to send me a copy of the book. Needless to say, I was blown away by the story Chorai Hotya Rohoshyo. I immediately got very interested in adapting it. However, the right opportunity did not present itself. I got busy with other work, but failed to get the story out of my head. Finally, after almost one-and-a-half years, I got the option of making Byadh,” says Abhirup. A candid chat.
Why the name Byadh?
The word ‘byadh’ means hunter. Colloquially, the word refers to bird hunters specifically. I wanted a poetic title for the series. As the story is about a man who kills birds, Byadh seemed like a perfect fit.
Why select this particular story?
When I read the story, I was obviously impressed by it. However, it is a rare story, which had a haunting effect on me. Getting the rights was a highly complicated process, and at one point of time, I let go of the willingness to adapt Chorai Hotya Rohoshyo. However, over time I realised that I simply could not get the story out of my head. The more I thought about the story, the more relevant it seemed to be in the current socio-political climate. After a certain point of time, I decided that I had to adapt this story anyhow. Thankfully, things worked out fine.
What are you trying to say through the series?
The series has multiple layers. While there is an obvious animal cruelty angle, there are other aspects which I would not want to reveal at this point. I do not want to give out any spoilers. I just feel that the series speaks about something that we see all around us every day. Though it is set in the year 2001, Byadh is a reflection of the world we live in today.
What was your first impression after reading the story?
My first impression was that I felt strongly connected to the story. It spoke to me and I found a certain solace in the realisation that the story and its characters seemed to reflect things I believe in. I could relate to the story’s world easily.
Tell us about the storyline?
The story focuses on two cops — the experienced, laid-back and unambitious Kanaichoron, and the naive and rigid Souvik. Both are stuck with each other in a punishment duty in a pseudo department called ‘the department of unusual cases.’ This department deals with worthless cases which are considered to be laughable by the police. As Kanaichoron and Souvik spend their days practically doing nothing, they get a new case.
A mysterious man is killing sparrows and displaying their corpses in farmlands in different villages of Bengal. While Kanaichoron and Souvik start hunting for the killer as a routine investigation, soon they begin to understand the significance of sparrow killings. Both get deeply involved in the case, and a cat-and-mouse game begins between the cops and the elusive killer, who is titled Byadh aka the Hunter, by Kanaichoron and Souvik.
You have already revealed, or so we assume, the killer in the trailer. So is this a howdunit?
After doing multiple kinds of murder mysteries and thrillers, I wanted to use a different narrative style with Byadh. This is not a whodunit and the killer is revealed in the trailer, as well as the first scene of the series itself. The process of killing is also not that complicated. However, the motive behind the killings is the USP of the story. Hence, we decided to make Byadh a whydunit. It is a challenge to keep audiences hooked to a narrative if the identity of the killer, or the process of killing, is revealed from beforehand. We opted to try something new and went for this adventurous approach. Hopefully the audiences will like what we have done.
What is the Department of Unusual Cases?
This is a fictitious department that apparently deals with out-of-the-box cases. It is a punishment duty in which police officers are given menial, laughable cases which no one takes seriously. This department was not there in the original text and I have developed it for the adaptation.
Are you a birder? What kind of research did you do for this one?
I am not a birder. I cannot call myself a bird or animal lover per se. But I like them and happily coexist with them. I would hate to see anyone cause harm to any bird or animal. Similarly, the protagonists of Byadh are neutral people with no specific affection for birds or animals. However, through the journey of the series, the characters realise the significance of cruelty against birds or animals. I researched about the legalities related to animal cruelty. Also, there is a strong historical context to the series, which demanded extensive research. I also had to research sparrows a lot in order to understand different myths about them.
Why cast Anirban Chakraborti, Rajatava Dutta, Souman Bose?
I have had a great rapport with Rajatavada and have done some really interesting work with him in the past. Even though he did not really meet the physical description of the character with respect to the book, Rajatavada felt like the perfect fit for Kanaichoron in terms of performance. Meanwhile, Souman Bose brought in the right combination of innocence and arrogance, which was needed for Souvik. For the killer, I wanted to cast someone who seemed to be a pleasant, likeable fellow — someone who could be anyone’s next-door neighbour. Anirbanda had that likeability about him. Also, it was fun to make him do something completely different from what people expect him to do.
What about Bibriti Chatterjee, Kharaj Mukherjee and Anushua?
For the character of Mrinalini, who is a rare, female forensic expert, we needed someone who was the perfect bridge between a traditional, old-school past, and a vibrant, new future. The character represents the transition of our country into a new millennium. Bibriti seemed to have the right energy for the role. She has brought a childlike quality in the character and her banters with Kanaichoron offer the most comic relief in the series. Kharaj Mukherjee plays Bhanu, a veteran spy of Lalbazar, who has spent his entire life supplying information to cops. I needed someone who could pull the age of the character off with ease and would comfortably lend a certain swagger. Kharajda was the only actor I could think of. Lastly, for the character of Tonima Sen, a bird expert, we needed someone who could lend a certain gravitas to the series. The scene featuring this character is a major turning point of the series and certain statements made by the character form the soul of the story. Anushuadi was perfect for the role.
How was it like working with them?
I have worked with Rajatavada, Kharajda and Souman before, and it is always an absolute pleasure creating something interesting with them. Rajatavada and I share similar tastes in books, food and movies; hence, he gets my references easily. Kharajda is a mad genius who is always a delight to watch bringing a character to life. Souman and I go way back and share a comfort zone with each other. This is the first time I worked with Anirbanda, Bibriti and Anushuadi. I put Anirbanda in really uncomfortable situations, but he never complained and was a dream to work with. Bibriti was super chill and worked really hard to get the nuances of the character right. Anushuadi was super gracious and really went to the depths of the script to portray her character effectively.
Where did you shoot the series and how did you figure out the locations?
The series has been shot extensively outdoors, in different villages near Burdwan. As the story is largely based in rural Bengal, we knew from the scripting stage itself that we had to find excellent rural landscapes. We wanted to capture different aspects of the villages of Bengal in a never-seen-before way. However, this proved to be logistically difficult, particularly due to the fact that we shot the film in peak monsoon. Schedules went haywire due to the rain and many of the locations had no facilities at all. The entire cast and crew went through a lot to try to ensure that Byadh is a visual treat.
How was your shooting experience?
While the journey was gruelling and back-breaking, making Byadh has been one of the most enriching and memorable experiences of my life. It helped me find myself and get in touch with sides of myself which I have not been in touch with for a long time. It was very much a real life hunt.