How 'Khakee: The Bengal Chapter' will reveal Kolkata's 'best-kept secret'
What's the story
Showrunner Neeraj Pandey and director Debatma Mandal are set to unveil "Kolkata's best-kept secret" in their upcoming project, Khakee: The Bengal Chapter.
The series features an IPS officer navigating political power and law enforcement obstacles.
Jeet, Prosenjit Chatterjee, Saswata Chatterjee, and Parambrata Chatterjee are part of the ensemble.
The show premieres on Netflix on March 20.
Streaming debut
'Khakee: The Bengal Chapter' deals with an interesting, unique premise
Mandal and Tushar Kanti Ray share the directorial duties.
Mandal told Mid-Day, "The basic idea was from Neeraj. The idea that we could tell a story representing Kolkata a little better was always the endeavor."
"There were things about Kolkata that had not been explored earlier which was an exciting premise."
"We know how crime politics and violence work here because we've all grown up here. I think violence in Kolkata has been the best-kept secret for the longest period."
Franchise expansion
'Khakee' franchise envisioned as multi-state series
Pandey had imagined Khakee as a multi-series franchise, with each part set in a different state.
He revealed, "During the promotion of Khakee: The Bihar Chapter, somebody told me not to talk about the possibility of a season two right now. But we went ahead and said that this is supposed to be a multi-season show."
"We dreamed big from day zero."
The series will stream in Hindi and Bengali, making it Netflix's first dual-language Indian crime show.
Cultural insight
'Pada' culture referenced in 'Khakee: The Bengal Chapter'
The series also delves into the peculiar "pada" culture of Kolkata, a neighborhood club system that has transitioned from organizing blood donation camps to becoming the state government's foot soldiers.
Pandey explained, "We were just discussing the pada culture in Kolkata and how different it is from any other state."
"While the Bihar chapter was adapted, this is a fictional story, but we went back and referenced a lot of incidents we knew [beforehand]."