Wikipedia

Karagar

Karagar (lit. 'The prison') or Cell 145 is a thriller web series directed by Syed Ahmed Shawki that started streaming on the Bengali OTT platform Hoichoi from 19 August 2022. Hoichoi announced their upcoming new five web series, Karagar is one of them, Based on Bangladesh, the series features Chanchal Chowdhury, Intekhab Dinar, Tasnia Farin and FS Nayeem in the lead roles.

Karagar
Promotional poster of Part 2
GenreThriller
Created bySyed Ahmed Shawki
Screenplay byNeamoth Ullah Masum
Shuhan Rizwan
Siddiq Ahamed
Rasheduzzaman Rakib
Syed Ahmed Shawki
Story byNeamoth Ullah Masum
Directed bySyed Ahmed Shawki
Starring
ComposersRuslan Rehman
Adeep Singh Manki
Anindit Roy
Country of origin
  • Bangladesh
Original languageBengali
No. of seasons2
No. of episodes14 (list of episodes)
Production
Production locationBangladesh
CinematographyBarkat Hossain Palash
EditorSaleh Sobhan Auneem
Production companiesFilm Noir
Film Syndicate
Original release
NetworkHoichoi
Release19 August (2022-08-19) –
22 December 2022 (2022-12-22)

After the release of the first part of the web series, it gained popularity among the audience and became the talk of the town. The popularity of this Bangladeshi series even spread to India. Karagar helped the OTT platform Hoichoi grow their business in Bangladesh.

Premise

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Akashnagar Jail is a prison in Bangladesh. Cell No. 145 of this jail has been closed since 1971. It is soon known that there is a prisoner inside that cell. Senior authorities break the old lock of the cell and enter it. When asked how he came to be in this cell, the mute prisoner hinted that he had been imprisoned for killing Mir Jafar in c. 1771 and had been transferred to different prisons at various times including Kala Pani Jail.

Cast and characters

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Main

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Supporting

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Episodes

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SeriesEpisodesOriginally released
1719 August 2022 (2022-08-19)
2722 December 2022 (2022-12-22)

Part 1

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The first season of Karagar was released on 19 August 2022 with seven episodes. In the first season, Mostak meets the mysterious prisoner who claims that he killed Mir Jafar. Maha is the interpreter who interprets his statement to police.

No.
overall		EpisodeDirected byWritten byOriginal release dateDuration
(minutes)
1ResurrectionSyed Ahmed ShawkiNeamoth Ullah Masum19 August 2022 (2022-08-19)23
2Black SheepSyed Ahmed ShawkiNeamoth Ullah Masum19 August 2022 (2022-08-19)21
3Life and deathSyed Ahmed ShawkiNeamoth Ullah Masum19 August 2022 (2022-08-19)27
4History and mysterySyed Ahmed ShawkiNeamoth Ullah Masum19 August 2022 (2022-08-19)31
5Light and shadowSyed Ahmed ShawkiNeamoth Ullah Masum19 August 2022 (2022-08-19)28
6Spirit and ghostsSyed Ahmed ShawkiNeamoth Ullah Masum19 August 2022 (2022-08-19)25
7Lost sheepSyed Ahmed ShawkiNeamoth Ullah Masum19 August 2022 (2022-08-19)33

Part 2

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On 21 September 2022, the Hoichoi authority announced that the second part of the web series will be released in December of the same year on the occasion of the sixth anniversary of the establishment of their platform.[1] On 4 November, the date of Part 2 was fixed on 15 December 2022.[2] Later the date was changed to 22 December due to the 2022 FIFA World Cup.[3]

No.
overall		EpisodeDirected byWritten byOriginal release dateDuration
(minutes)
1The BirthSyed Ahmed ShawkiNeamoth Ullah Masum22 December 2022 (2022-12-22)23
2The HomecomingSyed Ahmed ShawkiNeamoth Ullah Masum22 December 2022 (2022-12-22)32
3The BrotherSyed Ahmed ShawkiNeamoth Ullah Masum22 December 2022 (2022-12-22)28
4The FatherSyed Ahmed ShawkiNeamoth Ullah Masum22 December 2022 (2022-12-22)22
5The MotherSyed Ahmed ShawkiNeamoth Ullah Masum22 December 2022 (2022-12-22)28
6The SonSyed Ahmed ShawkiNeamoth Ullah Masum22 December 2022 (2022-12-22)35
7The MotherlandSyed Ahmed ShawkiNeamoth Ullah Masum22 December 2022 (2022-12-22)36

Production

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"With 'Karagar' I wanted to tell a story that seems unbelievable on the surface, but has layers of dark truth underneath."

—Syed Ahmed Shawki[4]

Neamoth Ullah Masum got the concept for it from "Kaktaal" (lit. 'Coincidence'), a Bangladeshi rock band from the Old Dhaka Central Jail, whose members are temporary and briefly defected to get out of the jail.[5] Before this web series, Syed Ahmed Shawki and Neamoth Ullah Masum worked in the web series Taqdeer. Neamoth suggested the director to make Karagar. The duo completed the web series concept in 3–4 months. The story of the web series was then written for a year. While writing the story, suggestions were taken from the crew and actors of the web series. The director had already decided that Chanchal Chowdhury would be cast in the lead role of the web series.[6] For the ideas for the series, director Shawki formed a panel of writers with Neamoth Ullah Masum, Suhan Rizwan, Rasheduzzaman Rakib and Siddiq Ahmed who helped in the pre-production of the series.[7]

The filming was done for two consecutive weeks. Chanchal fell ill due to continuous acting in the unsanitary environment of the prison.[8] The production team had to do a lot of historical research to write its plot.[9] In September 2021, Hoichoi announced the release of the Karagar web series to mark its fifth anniversary.[10] The two parts of the web series have been shot simultaneously. Most of its scenes were shot in Old Dhaka Central Jail which is currently closed for renovation work.[11] Atia Rahman did the make-up work of the actors including Chanchal, who tried to make his look realistic.[12] For the story, Chanchal and Farin had to learn sign language for three months. A sign language teacher was present on location during the filming.[13] After the release of Part 1 on 19 August 2022, post-production work on Part 2 of the web series began in September 2022.[14]

Reception

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Influence

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Miraz Hossain of The Business Standard wrote about the first part "Taqdeer famed director Syed Ahmed Shawki makes the series gripping with suspense intensifying in every episode, but the ending is so abrupt, unexpected, and intriguing that it feels incomplete, almost like not drinking water after a full meal."[15] Zahid Akbar of The Daily Star thinks part 1 of the series especially with its unsolved mysteries and Chanchal Chowdhury's performance left such an impression on the audience that they kept trying to solve the mysteries and the series became the talk of the town. As a result of this, the audience eagerly awaited the release of part 2.[16]

Critical response

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Part 1

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After the release of part 1 of the web series, it and its performers received positive response from the audience.[6][17] The art and entertainment desk of The Daily Star called it a unique storyline web series. Poorna Banerjee of The Times of India rated Part one 4/5 and praised the performance of Chanchal Chowdhury, the lead actor of the web series.[18] Saykot Kabir Shayok of The Business Standard said about the web series, "If keeping the audience hooked from the beginning to the end was the only criteria for a show to shine then Karagar season one passed with flying colours".[19] Shadique Mahbub Islam of The Financial Express praised its plot and screenplay.[20] Jannatul Naym Pieal of The Business Post said its editing was average and it disappointed at the end of the first part, but he praised its background music.[21] According to Biswadeep Dey of Sangbad Pratidin, Karagar has managed to gain popularity in both Bengals.[22] Calling it an "ambitious production", Priyanka Chowdhury of The Daily Star does not think that this unfinished web series is unsatisfactory. She thinks that the theological and mystical settings is perfect for the series.[23] Soumya Mukhopadhyay, the chief operating officer of Hoichoi, said Karagar has contributed a lot to its business growth in Bangladesh.[24]

Part 2

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According to Pritha Biswas of Anandabazar Patrika, part two revealed the unsolved mysteries of the previous part, but some of them were unsatisfactory. Sub plots are not given importance in this part. The series managed to create suspense but failed to create emotion among the audience. Besides, she wrote "the actors have a lot of credit behind the huge popularity of this series".[25] Biswadip Dey of Sangbad Pratidin felt that despite being a thriller work, part 2 lacked any trace of thriller element. But according to him it represented the Bengali culture and turned into an excellent web series despite refraining from using sexuality and slang for popularity.[26] According to Jannatul Naym Pieal of The Business Post, the story is fantastic but the director failed to convey it to the audience in the series properly in the second part.[27] Poorna Banerjee of The Times of India praised the cinematography of Karagar but criticized it for having plot holes and lacking satisfactory answers to the mysteries. According to her, it would have been better to develop the story slowly instead of ending it abruptly.[28] Agnivo Niyogi of The Telegraph thinks it was better to exclude unnecessary subplots from part 2 and the sequel is worthy to watch.[29] According to Muhammad Asadullah of Bdnews24.com it has the potential to be the best web series of 2022. To him, it also raised the standard of Bengali-language web series.[30] According to Miraz Hossain of The Business Standard, Part 2 is good, but compared to Part 1, it may seem worse. However, he praised Naufel who played the role of Raju and called him the star of the part.[31] According to Razia Sultana Jenni of Amader Shomoy, the series lost its unpredictability due to the introduction of the Bangladesh Liberation War in the plot of Part 2 and from that part it turned from thriller to melodrama. As a result, the creator of the series lost the opportunity to bring novelty to its story.[32]

References

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  1. ^ কবে আসছে ‘কারাগার পার্ট টু’? [When is coming 'Karagar Part Two'?]. Banglanews24.com (in Bengali). 21 September 2022. Archived from the original on 4 October 2022. Retrieved 9 October 2022.
  2. ^ "'Karagar' returns in December with Part 2". The Daily Star. 5 November 2022. Archived from the original on 5 November 2022. Retrieved 6 November 2022.
  3. ^ ২২ ডিসেম্বর আসছে কারাগার পার্ট ২ [Karagar Part 2 is coming on 22 December]. Ajker Patrika (in Bengali). 3 December 2022. Archived from the original on 5 December 2022. Retrieved 5 December 2022.
  4. ^ "'Karagar' Part 2: The beginning of the end?". The Daily Star. 6 December 2022. Archived from the original on 22 December 2022. Retrieved 22 December 2022.
  5. ^ Sharmin, Jeenat (28 August 2022). ‘কারাগার’ ওয়েব সিরিজের লেখক এই তরুণ [The author of the 'Karagar' web series is this young man]. Prothom Alo (in Bengali). Archived from the original on 28 August 2022. Retrieved 28 August 2022.
  6. ^ a b ‘কারাগার’: প্রত্যাশার চেয়েও বেশি ['Karagar': More Than Expected]. Prothom Alo (in Bengali). 23 August 2022. Archived from the original on 24 August 2022. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
  7. ^ "কারাগারের গল্পটা মিস্ট্রি" [The story of Karagar is a mystery]. Bonikbarta.net (in Bengali). 19 August 2022. Archived from the original on 18 August 2022. Retrieved 3 January 2022.
  8. ^ Sadiya Khalid Riti (7 August 2022). ‘কারাগার’-এর শুটিংয়ে টানা ১৪ দিন একটি ময়লা পোশাক পরতে হয়েছিল চঞ্চলকে [Chanchal had to wear a dirty outfit for 14 consecutive days while filming for 'Karagar']. Dhaka Tribune (in Bengali). Archived from the original on 25 August 2022. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
  9. ^ Asadullah, Muhammad (20 August 2022). ‘বড় ধাক্কা’ আসছে কারাগারের দ্বিতীয় পর্বে [The 'big shock' is coming in the second phase of Karagar]. Bdnews24.com (in Bengali). Archived from the original on 24 August 2022. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
  10. ^ "Hoichoi announces five new web series on 5th anniversary". Dhaka Tribune. 24 September 2021. Archived from the original on 25 August 2022. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
  11. ^ Joya, Sharmin (23 August 2022). "Is 'Karagar' another landmark for OTT?". Daily Star. Archived from the original on 25 August 2022. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
  12. ^ Jahan, Nadima (26 August 2022). "Incredible portrayal of credible looks in 'Karagar'". Prothom Alo. Archived from the original on 26 August 2022. Retrieved 26 August 2022.
  13. ^ Afzal, Pantho (31 August 2022). চ্যালেঞ্জ থাকার কারণে টেনশনটা বেশিই [The tension is high because of the challenge]. Bangladesh Pratidin (in Bengali). Archived from the original on 31 August 2022. Retrieved 31 August 2022.
  14. ^ কবে আসবে ‘কারাগার’-এর দ্বিতীয় পর্ব [When will the second episode of 'Karagar' come]. Prothom Alo (in Bengali). 22 August 2022. Archived from the original on 25 August 2022. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
  15. ^ Hossain, Miraz (22 December 2022). "Karagar 2: Who is the mystery prisoner?". The Business Standard. Archived from the original on 22 December 2022. Retrieved 22 December 2022.
  16. ^ Akbar, Zahid (22 December 2022). "Was 'Karagar' Part 2 worth the wait?". The Daily Star. Archived from the original on 22 December 2022. Retrieved 23 December 2022.
  17. ^ "FS Nayeem gets huge response for 'Karagar'". Daily Sun. 23 August 2022. Archived from the original on 25 August 2022. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
  18. ^ "Times of India reviews 'Karagar', calls it 'the best Bengali series till date'". The Daily Star. 22 August 2022. Archived from the original on 25 August 2022. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
  19. ^ Saykot Kabir Shayok (19 August 2022). "Karagar: Shawki not too shabby". The Business Standard. Archived from the original on 25 August 2022. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
  20. ^ Shadique Mahbub Islam (23 August 2022). "Chanchal Chowdhury's 'Karagar' promises a stellar series ahead". The Financial Express. Archived from the original on 25 August 2022. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
  21. ^ Jannatul Naym Pieal (21 August 2022). "'Karagar Part 1' is unlike any other Bengali web-series, still a damn good one". Businesspostbd.com. Archived from the original on 31 August 2022. Retrieved 31 August 2022.
  22. ^ Dey, Biswadip (31 August 2022). দুই বাংলায় ঝড় তুলেছে বাংলাদেশি ওয়েব সিরিজ ‘কারাগার’, চঞ্চল চৌধুরীর অভিনয়েই কি বাজিমাত? [The Bangladeshi web series 'Karagar' has created a storm in two Bengals, is Chanchal Chowdhury acting?]. Sangbad Pratidin (in Bengali). Archived from the original on 1 September 2022. Retrieved 1 September 2022.
  23. ^ Chowdhury, Priyanka (27 August 2022). "Karagar: The blurred line between fact and fiction". The Daily Star. Archived from the original on 20 September 2022. Retrieved 19 September 2022.
  24. ^ ওটিটি দাপাচ্ছে ও-পার বাংলা, প্রযোজকদের নজরে এখন কারা [The other Bengal rocks OTT, who are now in the eyes of the producers]. Anandabazar Patrika (in Bengali). 27 September 2022. Archived from the original on 29 September 2022. Retrieved 29 September 2022.
  25. ^ Biswas, Pritha (21 December 2022). কেমন হল চঞ্চল চৌধুরীর ‘কারাগার ২’? প্রথম পর্বের মতো জমল কি, জানাচ্ছে আনন্দবাজার অনলাইন [How is Chanchal Chowdhury's 'Karagar 2'? Was it packed like the first episode, says Anandabazar Online]. Anandabazar Patrika (in Bengali). Archived from the original on 22 December 2022. Retrieved 22 December 2022.
  26. ^ Dey, Biswadip (22 December 2022). প্রথম পর্বে ছিল চমক, দ্বিতীয় পর্বে কি প্রত্যাশা পূরণ করতে পারল কারাগার ২? পড়ুন রিভিউ [The first part was a surprise, could the second part meet the expectations of Karagar 2? Read the review]. Sangbad Pratidin (in Bengali). Archived from the original on 23 December 2022. Retrieved 23 December 2022.
  27. ^ Pieal, Jannatul Naym (23 December 2022). "Karagar 2: Underwhelming execution of an overwhelming storyline". Businesspostbd.com. Archived from the original on 23 December 2022. Retrieved 23 December 2022.
  28. ^ Banerjee, Poorna (23 December 2022). "Karagar Season 2 Review: A sharp turn towards vendetta reduces the intrigue". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 24 December 2022. Retrieved 24 December 2022.
  29. ^ Niyogi, Agnivo (24 December 2022). "Chanchal Chowdhry-starrer Karagar Part 2 is a revenge thriller that dwells on a dark past". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 24 December 2022. Retrieved 24 December 2022.
  30. ^ Asadullah, Muhammad (22 December 2022). কারাগারের দ্বিতীয় পর্বে ঘুরে গেল গল্পের মোড় [The story took a turn in the second part of Karagar]. Bdnews24.com (in Bengali). Archived from the original on 25 December 2022. Retrieved 25 December 2022.
  31. ^ Hossain, Miraz (31 December 2022). "Karagar 2 does not live up to the hype but Naufel nails it". The Business Standard. Archived from the original on 3 January 2023. Retrieved 3 January 2023.
  32. ^ Sultana Jenni, Razia (26 December 2022). "কারাগার-২ : প্রেডিক্টেবল এন্ডিং আর দুর্বল লজিকের গল্প" [Karagar-2: A story of predictable endings and weak logic]. Amader Shomoy (in Bengali). Archived from the original on 25 December 2022. Retrieved 3 January 2022.
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