Streaming giant Bongo has adapted seven bestsellers of 2020 Ekushey Book Fair into seven much-anticipated telefilms in the Season 1 of its Based on Books (BOB) Series, in what said to be the country’s first ever literary adaptations series, which will be aired on four television channels during the Eid-ul-Fitr.
From rom-coms to mystery to action to thriller, the literary adaptations are expected to cater to viewers something refreshing and different, for all genres covering from drama, romance and comedy to thriller, action and supernatural.
Veteran Dhallywood actor Ilias Kanchan will mark his debut on OTT platform by appearing in one of the titles. The titles feature Azmeri Haque Badhan, Partha Barua, Ishrat Jahan Chaity, Manoj Pramanik, Mumtaheena Toya, Ashna Habib Bhabna, and many other senior and contemporary artists.
Presented by bKash, the seven titles of Season 1 will also be streamed exclusively on Bongo's OTT platform www.bongobd.com.
Titles, cast, airing time and storylines:
1. Shohore Tukro Roud
This telefilm is based on Shahaduz Zaman’s two small stories--Uber and Tukro Rouder Moto Kham. Partha Barua, Azmeri Haque Badhan, Rifat Chowdhury, Shahjahan Shamrat, Dilruba Doyel and Israt Jahan Chaity are featured in the title directed by Noor Imran Mithu.
Tagline: A housewife in disguise seeks for the proof of an extra-marital affair by her husband and evokes a sudden terror-threat.
Plot: A housewife in disguise seeks proof of an extra-marital affair by her husband and evokes a sudden terror-threat. An undelivered letter puts a corporate guy in the position to grant a convicted felon sentenced to death his last wish!
Airing date: 1st day of Eid
Where to watch: Channel 9 (2:00 pm), Deepto TV (4:30pm), ETV (9:20 pm), GTV (11:30 pm)
2. Alibaba Chalichar
Alibaba Chalichar is based on a story with the same title from the book Shomoyer Golpo, 2013 by Shibabrata Barman. Animesh Aich directed the telefilm that features Noor Imran Mithu, Ashna Habib Bhabna, Ishtiak Ahmed Rumel, Sohel Rana and Harun ur Rashid. It was shot in Mymensingh.
Tagline: The story is about a jobless man who becomes rich overnight stumbling upon a treasure chest
Plot: A comedy thriller about the life of a simple man who stumbles upon a treasure and becomes rich by stealing from a notorious criminal gang
Airing date: 2nd day of Eid
Where to watch: Channel 9 (2:00pm), Deepto TV (4:30pm), ETV (9:20 pm), GTV (11:30 pm)
3. Moronottom
This telefilm is an adaptation of the novel Moronottom by Sadat Hossain. Starring llias Kanchan, Shahiduzzaman Selim, Imtiaz Barshan and Makhnun Sultana Mahima in major roles, Moronottom is directed by Sanjoy Somaddar. The telefilm was shot in Manikganj.
Tagline: Justice delayed is justice denied
Plot: A small town teacher sets out to protest a vast injustice at his school in front of the Press Club. As the story unfolds, justice finally prevails following the revelation of truth.
Airing date: 3rd day of Eid
Where to watch: Channel 9 (2:00pm), Deepto TV (4:30pm), ETV (9:20 pm), GTV (11:30 pm)
4. Chorer Master
Chorer Master is based on Rahitul Islam’s novel Chorer Master Computer Engineer. The telefilm features Khairul Basher, Safa Kabir and Lutfur Rahman George directed by Vicky Zahed. It was shot in Daulatdia in Rajbari.
Tagline: Fortune favors the brave
Plot: A fresh engineer graduate from Tangail decides to leave his girlfriend, career and metropolitan life behind to teach students and farmers in his home village.
Airing date: 5th day of Eid
Where to watch: Channel 9 (2:00pm), Deepto TV (4:30pm), ETV (9:20 pm), GTV (11:30 pm)
5. Mr. K
Starring Partha Barua, Nazia Haque Orsha, Shahid Sharif Khan and Shushoma Mahbub, Mr. K is the adaptation of Mahbub Morshed’s novel Nova Scotia. The telefilm is directed by Wahid Tarek.
Tagline: Love is the secret password to every soul!
Plot: Anam is a professor at Dhaka University. He lives all by himself in the city, whereas his family stays in Canada. On an evening walk, he gets kidnapped. When he wakes up after the effects of chlorophyll, he finds himself in a guest house. He gets assigned to reveal the password and Prof of an offshore bank locker in the Bahamas. Anam’s knowledge and long practice slowly help him unfold the mystery of a well-known wealthy person, Mr Khan a Kaekobad.
Airing date: 6th day of Eid
Where to watch: Channel 9 (2:00pm), Deepto TV (4:30pm), ETV (9:20 pm), GTV (11:30 pm)
6. Laboni
Telefilm Laboni is an adaptation of Maruf Rahman’s book with the same name. Manoj Pramanik, Mumtaheena Toya, Shahadat Hossain and Mou are featured in Laboni which is directed by Golam Haider Kisloo.
Tagline: Mysterious events cloud Tamim when he reads a novel that talks about his life. He wonders if his fate is already determined?
Plot: Tamim, a regular boy, was reading a novel and suddenly discovered that everything in his life that was happening, was written in the book. He wonders if his fate is already determined?
Airing date: 4th day of Eid
Where to watch: Channel 9 (2:00pm), Deepto TV (4:30pm), ETV (9:20 pm), GTV (11:30 pm)
7. Kemne Ki
Kemne Ki is based on the story of Hakulla by Jobaed Ahsan. Iftekhar Ahmed Fahmi directed Yash Rohan, Missouri Rashid, Sohel Khan, Sharaf Ahmed Jibon and Shahid Ali in the telefilm.
Tagline: Flavour of Wedding Crashers in Bangladesh!
Plot: A billionaire's son Antu didn't have the experience of middle class or lower middle class life. One day he meets one of his Facebook friends whom he couldn't recognize. The man named Zahid took him to a different world of local small town people who struggle to live their life in the cosmopolitan city.
Airing date: 7th day of Eid
Where to watch: Channel 9 (2:00pm), Deepto TV (4:30pm), ETV (9:20 pm), GTV (11:30 pm)
How the idea of BOB series came into life?
Zahid Ahmed, deputy chief content editor at Bongo, narrates how the idea came to life. It was the ‘brainchild’ of Mushfiqur Rahman, chief content officer at Bongo, and him. The two share a common passion and have been collecting books from Ekushe Boi Mela for several years. One fine day the two thought why not take on this challenge of adapting from literature and do something refreshing. They also thought by doing this, it will also encourage new and contemporary writers to see a new way of channeling their stories.
Mushfiqur Rahman, chief content officer at Bongo and producer of the adaptations, said: "Our stories are reflected in our literature. We have long wanted to get out of the conventional trend and work with literature. This may be the first literary work in the form of a series. It is our stepping stone and we shall continue. We are glad to have Bkash on board who believed in the project."
"We went through various challenges to shot the Season 1 titles parallelly amid the situation triggered by the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. Safety protocols and health guidelines were maintained on the sets of our seven production teams," he told The Business Post.
Mentioning that Bongo BOB is a long-term initiative, Zahid Ahmed said, "Looking through the history, Bangladesh's film industry played a significant role in the country's GDP, but we could not hold on to it, one of the reasons being the lack of original stories. The same can be said about television. Through this venture, we want to present original stories to our audience that hold global standards.”
