Chorki’s spin-off series starring Nasir Uddin Khan is worth your time
By Salman Sakib Jishan
If you are asked to name a spin-off from a Bangladeshi movie series, can you? You can’t, because although Hollywood and Bollywood have often branched out from story to story, this has never happened before in our country.
Until Shihab Shaheen’s Myself Allen Swapan. The country’s first spin-off series, released on Eid-ul-Fitr, is based on Allen Swapan, the witty, funny, and mysterious character of the director’s original series Syndicate, which was released last year. Both serials have been released on the popular OTT platform Chorki.
This series, which features Nasir Uddin Khan in the lead role, has already received a lot of response. The cast also includes favorite faces Rafiyath Rashid Mithila, Suman Anwar, Farhad Limon, Abdullah Al Sentu, Rafiul Quader Rubel, Arnab Tripura, Mishkat Mahmud, Aiman Shimla, Zahid Islam, Saju Mahadi, and many others.
Audiences have not forgotten the titular character’s accent, sartorial appeal, eccentric behavior, and villain arc, even though it got very little screen time in the Syndicate series. Realizing the great interest that was created, the director immediately produced this series. The director has not made a mistake – Chorki has already written its name in the ranks of the most successful content so far.
“It has been streamed for over 200 crore minutes in eight days, which is the highest on this streaming platform, in this time-frame” ~ The Daily Star
The series sees the return of drug lord Allen Swapan, who was allegedly killed in a crossfire with the government’s anti-narcotics drive in 2018. But in an unknown identity. Another man was known by that identity. How a very selfish and cunning criminal steals another character and takes over his family, identity, business, and joins in money laundering – the director takes us through the rise of Allen Swapan, the cruel and tough criminal of the syndicate.
The notorious terrorist’s attempts at being a family man, to hide his provincialism, learning the ropes of the business – the many hats worn by Allen Swapan occasionally make the audience laugh. The performance by Nasir Uddin Khan in the highly anticipated spin-off, Myself Allen Swapan, truly stole the show. It was remarkable how his character, Allen Swapan, initially had only a few scenes in Syndicate, but left a lasting impact. The series has captivated audiences with its intriguing storyline and memorable moments. Viewers have expressed their immense love for this original production by Chorki.
While this series is entirely centered on the character Allen Swapan, the character Shayla played by Rafiath Rashid Mithila has also won the hearts of the audience. No one has ever seen Mithila play such a role before. Mithila herself has admitted this. A very brave, meticulous Bengali bride who knows how to outsmart a catch to survive. Not only for her daughter – Shayla did not forget about her own interests. Greedy and opportunistic, this character is more real than the movie heroines. As long as Mithila has been on screen, the audience has been enthralled by her performance. Jadu’s character played by Abdullah Al Sentu also grabbed attention.
The impeccable casting choices truly make this series shine. From the protagonist to the supporting cast, each actor flawlessly embodies their character. While the plot may not be ground-breaking, it manages to captivate and hold your attention, striking a perfect balance between drama and suspense. The series is brilliantly written and directed, seamlessly blending drama, humor, and suspense. The stunning background adds an extra layer of brilliance to the overall production. The series was shot in different parts of Dhaka, and Chittagong.
However, basically the director wants to tell the background story of the character. The director was more interested in showing how the character was born, how get got started in his life of crime. Because of this, some scenes can seem a bit repetitive. It may seem that this part could have been skipped, because it has nothing to do with the story. There are moments when the story seems to drag, lacking depth, and feeling somewhat superficial.
Nevertheless, it is definitely worth watching for its superb performances and engrossing storyline. I highly recommend Myself Allen Swapan to anyone seeking a captivating and well-made TV series. And for fans of great acting, you absolutely won’t want to miss Nasir Uddin Khan’s incredible performance in this show.
