First Bangladeshi Original streaming now on OTT

Bangladeshi expats in the UAE will be pleased to know that they can now watch the first Bengali OTT Original from their country in the UAE.

Mainkar Chipay, directed by internationally acclaimed filmmaker Abrar Athar, premiered this Monday on ZEE5 Global and is currently streaming on the channel.

Starring Afran Nisho, Sariful Raz and Shamol Mawla, the dark comedy sees the three actors share screen space for the first time. The movie showcases Afran in a new avatar as he drags Sariful, an addict and Shamol, a peddler into a ‘Mainkar Chipay‘ situation. The film also showcases how drugs can lead people into a deadly trap.

Shot in a minimalist format during the lockdown, the film was completed in just four days across four locations. Besides the interesting script and quirky characters, the film has been given a unique treatment using camera lenses from the '60s to create a retro look.

Mainkar Chipay will be the first followed by three more new Bangladeshi projects over the next few months.

Some of the other projects in the pipeline include:

Notable Bangladeshi screenwriter and filmmaker Shihab Shaheen’s new film and second ZEE5 Original title Jodi, Kintu Tobuo. This romantic comedy starring Ziaul Faruq Apurba and Nusraat Faria. National award-winning young director Anam Biswas’ What the Fry? starring Bidya Sinha Mim and Tanim Noor and Krishnendu Chttopadhyay’s Contract, a web series starring Arifin Shuvoo, Chanchal Chowdhury, Zakia Bari Mamo and Iresh Zaker.

• Entertainment