A mysterious prisoner appears in a jail cell claiming to have been there for an implausible 250 years. Yet he wasn’t there even the day before during the evening’s “gunti” when the jailers count the inmates. What adds to the enigma is the fact that cell number 145 has for long remained empty.
It’s the feeling of “something’s about to happened” that looms over the whole season of Chanchal Chowdhury’s upcoming web series “Karagar,” after finishing all the episodes of which, one will most certainly want to hit the “next episode” button, out of curiosity or frustration, an option we’ll have to wait another year for.
There were many setups without answers in this second collaboration of the popular actor with “Taqdeer” (2020) famed director Syed Ahmed Shawki. It almost feels like one season was split in two. Although Chanchal Chowdhury left these for the director to answer another day, he gave a detailed account of his struggles during the filming of Hoichoi’s latest product “Karagar” in this interview with Dhaka Tribune’s Showtime Editor Sadia Khalid Reeti.
Preparing for the role
Chanchal observed that groundwork for doing something creative like this is strenuous; the physical labour adds pressure that can be trying at times. “Who is this prisoner? Where did he come from?” the actor says is the central hook of the story. As the series hinges on Chanchal’s screen presence, he had to give it his all. “I had to shave my head,” Chanchal said talking about how he prepared for the role. “Learning sign language also took some time.”
Cell 145
“This jail is as old as the inmate,” Chanchal remarked. As the story unfolds, the cell becomes a mysterious character much like the ancient prisoner. How the inmates live and interact sets a backdrop we haven’t yet seen so realistically depicted on screen in the recent past. Chanchal had worked in this jail before when it was operational. “Karagar” was shot after it was shut down and shifted to Keranigonj rendering the cells to be even dirtier than usual, he informed.
Long hours, endless weeks
The series was shot for 13-14 days at a stretch, during which time Chanchal was confined to one costume made of a thick sweat-inducing fabric. “There was just one costume for my character. Shooting out of sequence also made continuity a challenge because the clothes kept gathering dirt.”
“The cells where we shot were very dirty,” stressed Chanchal. “I was sick afterwards. I couldn’t get out of bed for a week. It was physically and mentally challenging.”
The shooting would start early in the morning- from 6 or 7am to usually 10pm. “One day we shot till 3am,” the actor mentioned. “I was livid that day. If they shot for 2-3 more days, preferably with breaks, I could give more and not have to suffer like that.”
He expressed grievance at the industry’s tendency to minimize the shooting days for shrinking budgets that puts “over-pressure on us.” “Every director has done this, but we shouldn’t tolerate this anymore,” he urged.
‘I couldn’t eat’
“Makeup was everywhere from my fingernails to my toes. I had to work in real dirt,” Chanchal said. He lived on coconut water and juice during the shooting days for the filth butchered his appetite.
Shetu from the makeup team did some prosthetic work on him. The whole look took 3- 3.5 hours everyday to assemble, yet the heat and sweat would dislodge the prosthetics at times. “The whole makeup team used to go to my house after shooting to take the makeup off. Then more would melt off in the shower. It was unhygienic. I don’t know how I survived those days,” the actor stated. It was only possible for his “Shooting er nesha,” he observed.
Second collab with Afzal Hossain
Veteran actor Afzal Hossain plays an eccentric executioner in “Karagar.” The two maestros joined forces before in “Pet Kata Shaw.” Complimenting on how cooperative he is, Chanchal described how they rehearsed each scene together 8-10 times before rolling the camera. “What can one say about Afzal Hossain? He is extraordinary, both as a person and as an artist,” Chanchal exclaimed. “He is such a senior actor, yet he listens to every direction with a calm countenance.”
Shawki: One of the finest makers of his generation
Although Chanchal didn’t get to watch the final edit of the series due to his preoccupation with the promotion of Mejbaur Rahman Sumon’s debut feature film “Hawa,” he has full faith in the director’s ability to make “Karagar” into something memorable. Speaking about Shawki, who he had worked with before in “Taqdeer,” he remarked, “This project was more challenging than ‘Taqdeer’,” I saw more dedication, maturity and teamwork.” He applauded the production design, calling the director “cool headed” and “brilliant.” The actor hailed Shawki as “one of the finest makers of his generation,” a high praise that indeed piques our interest in watching this show.
“Karagar” will stream on Hoichoi from August 19.
Sadia Khalid Reeti is a film critic/screenwriter and the Showtime Editor of Dhaka Tribune
