By Salman Sakib Jishan
Shankha Das Gupta’s new series Guti deals with some uncomfortable realities
OTT platform Chorki released a new web series Guti on January 5, directed by Shankha Das Gupta. The series is already hyped up by the Bangladeshi fanbase. It casts prominent faces like Azmeri Haque Badhon, Shahriar Nazim Joy, Nasir Uddin Khan, Moushumi Hamid, Sharif Siraj, etc.
The main story revolves around a female character named Sultana (Azmeri Haque Badhon), who has been involved in a drug smuggling network for several years. In this line of work, she has to travel from Dhaka to Chittagong carrying pills or tablets like illegal drugs smuggled inside her rectum. Seeing that her physical condition, her daughter, and her family are at risk, Sultana wants to run away from this line of work. But does the criminal world let anyone go that easily? Director Shankha Das Gupta wanted to narrate the story of a woman’s struggle regarding the kind of touchy subject we usually want to avoid when we see it on the pages of newspapers.
Such incidents are happening every day in this country. But the bold story of such a sensitive plot has never been seen before in Bangladesh. The exciting story will not let the audience take their eyes off the screen even once. This is why every episode of 17-25 minutes runtime was highly enjoyable. Also, all the actors and actresses who played each role performed to their maximum. They made every character on screen believable.
After Rehnuma Maryam Noor Azmeri Haque Badhan lit up like a phoenix. Her portrayal of Mushkan Zuberi in Srijit Mukherji’s serial Robindronath Ekhane Kawkhono Khete Aashenni aired on the HoiChoi platform also garnered appreciation in India. In some scenes in Guti, she surpassed many of her previous best works. Especially the scene where illegal drugs were being taken out through her anus and the emotion she showed was mind-blowing. It cannot be said that there was no overacting in some scenes. But all in all, she has shown great skill in the lead role.
Shahriar Nazim Joy returned to the screen after a long time and proved how underrated he is as an actor. Nasir Uddin Khan as usual has shown great skill here in a different role. All the characters were tied together at the end. The usage of the color tone, location selection, and music in the series were also so soothing, which goes without saying.
The struggle of a mother or a female character in society, and how they face the world has come out quite well in this story. Basically, this story wanted to talk about the struggle of women in difficult realities. Badhon herself has mentioned that the series prioritizes women.
If there’s anything lacking in the storyline, it is in the details of how this crime world works, who are behind it, and the background, a dissatisfaction that can actually be left in the viewer’s mind. If the story of these internal workings could have been extended by three more episodes, the show as a whole would probably have been more enjoyable.
All over it was an enjoyable series. No Bangladeshi audience should miss such a brave depiction.
