Within four-and-a-half years of its launch, Hoichoi has scored a century with its Originals, which is focused on one language, Bengali, that caters to over 270 million users worldwide. As the OTT platform stepped into its fifth year, it laid out glimpses of their upcoming line-up of over 25 shows from both India and Bangladesh, with more shows joining the list. Their library of Originals is also available in Hindi and is distributed through multiple partners to reach a wider base.
Tiktiki, starring Kaushik Ganguly and Anirban Bhattacharya, is its 100th Original, which also marks the digital debut of director Dhrubo Banerjee. “Our journey has been immensely fulfilling and it wouldn’t have been possible without the immense love we have received from Bengalis across the globe. When we started, we couldn’t have predicted we would get this far this soon. However, it still feels we are just getting started and have only scratched the surface of what it would take for Hoichoi to be the default entertainment platform for Bengalis globally,” said Vishnu Mohta, co-founder of Hoichoi.
Soumya Mukherjee, COO, Hoichoi, added: “We are overwhelmed with the response and love we have received for Hoichoi, in both the regional and as well as the national and international OTT space. We have been successful in consistently delivering stories which resonate with our users. Since day one we listened to our users and carefully crafted stories they wanted to watch. We have also been able to collaborate with some of the best creators and talents from India and Bangladesh who have helped us create critically-acclaimed content. We plan to release at least 60 new Originals which will be available in both Bengali and Hindi.”
Here are some of the high points....
1. First Hoichoi Original: Hello!
Hoichoi stepped into the world of web shows in 2017 with Hello! starring Raima Sen and Priyanka Sarkar in the lead, and the show was an instant hit with the audience. “Hello has been a huge hit, it has done very well, people from all over the world have watched Hello. That gives me a responsibility to carry on with the seasons. It is also my duty and responsibility to see Hello grow. It is always good to be a part of a successful brand. You measure your success with each season,” Raima had told The Telegraph.
2. First web adaptation of Byomkesh: Byomkesh
The popular series Byomkesh now stands at the seventh season. “After Season Two, I felt a need to explore the imperfection of Byomkesh. That was one of the things left to explore. I have tried to change my style of speech gradually in later seasons,” Anirban had told The Telegraph. “I really relate to some of the aspects of Satyabati. She is so strong and progressive, which any woman of today can relate to. She is going out of the house, working, taking care of the husband and running the house. When I first did Satyabati and I got into the whole look, it reminded me of my thamma. She is my inspiration for Satyabati,” said Ridhima.
3. First Hoichoi Original to go from OTT to the big screen: Eken Babu
Starring Anirban Chakrabarty as the quirky detective Eken Babu, this series has been a huge hit, spanning five seasons with five different stories. Eken Babu is a Bengali detective who adores food and new mysteries at the same time.
4. First Original with a modern retelling of a classic tale: Charitraheen
Based on the novel by Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay, Charitraheen portrays a modern retelling with various twists and turns. Starring Swastika Mukherjee, Mumtaz Sorcar, Saurav Das and Naina Ganguly, the series remains the first of its kind to be launched.
5. First Original film: Tasher Ghawr
Directed by Sudipto Roy, Tasher Ghawr, starring Swastika Mukherjee, was powered by a woman-centric plot. “The pandemic, the lockdown that followed, the realisation of loneliness, the acceptance of it and gradually being a part of a secluded world — all these contributed to the story’s inception. Sahana Dutta penned the story. I worked on a fresh draft of the screenplay and that’s how we have Tasher Ghawr,” said Sudipto.
6. Original from Bangladesh: Mohanagar
Mohanagar was a huge hit with its authentic story and witnessed a record watch time on the launch weekend. Directed by award-winning director Ashfaque Nipun and starring by Mosharraf Karim, Mohanagar scored with its distinct storyline.
7. The Original that marked the web debut of Anjan Dutt: Murder in the Hills
Set in picturesque locations of Darjeeling, Anjan Dutt’s first Hoichoi web series was a dark murky tale that revolved around the suspicious death of a Bengali filmstar of the ’90s. “Murder in The Hills is an extremely dark story filled with very complex characters, who are all contemporary and young. It’s violent, reeking in secrets, lies and scandals. The hills become very murky... where blood is shed and the violence of the past catch up with the present. The most important aspect was to achieve a scale I have rarely achieved before,” said Anjan.
8. The Original that marked the first adaptation from a Bangladeshi novel: REKKA
REKKA is a series that has been path-breaking in many ways. The show marked the grand entry of the celebrated director, Srijit Mukherji into the Hoichoi-verse. It presented the much-hyped star cast comprising Azmeri Haque Badhon, Anirban Bhattacharya and Rahul Bose. “Srijit has seen my journey, my effort, my hard work... he saw Mushkan Zuberi in me. He thanked me on the last day of shoot. I was waiting for a comment from the author of the book (Mohammad Nazim Uddin)... then he wrote on FB saying that I fit the bill as Mushkan. He told me that he could see the hard work that I had put in and could see that I had done the work with a lot of love and care. It is great that such an exciting, woman-centric thriller was written in Bangladesh,” said Badhon.
9. The Original that appealed to audiences from diverse segments: Indu
Starring Ishaa Saha in the lead, Indu was the intense family thriller directed by Sayantan Ghoshal and written by Sahana Dutta.
10. The Original that marked the directorial debut of Anirban Bhattacharya: Mandaar
Widely acclaimed by critics and audiences, Mandaar set a lot of benchmarks in the Indian OTT space.