It’s day 10 of the lockdown, and we have already exhausted our social media platforms with daily updates of our routines. This self-isolation has definitely given us time to try out things we otherwise didn’t have time to do. For all those Bengalis mourning the end of their favourite shows, some channels have come to you with a treat. With shoots of current daily soaps stalled, the older ones are returning with all their warmth. While some are already being aired, you can watch the rest from Monday, 6 April.
Let’s take a look at what all is being served to us:
Zee Bangla (The serials will air from 6 April)
Ek Akasher Niche
The best thing about this hugely popular show was the cast, which included Rajatabha Dutta, Saswata Chatterjee, Deblina Dutta, Chaiti Ghoshal, Samata Das, Koneenica Banerjee among others. The show deals with a modern joint family from Bengal. From charting their day-to-day affairs to showing the characters discuss politics, equal rights, medicine and so on, Ek Akasher Niche was a pleasant break from the cliche love stories and daily soaps revolving around zamindars.
Agnipariksha
The daily soap starring Bhaswar Chatterjee, Sonalee Chowdhury, Rimjhim Mitra and Manasi Sinha in lead roles, started airing in 2009. It ran until 2014 and became a household favourite. The show revolves around a girl who had to endure taunts and was laughed at because of her dusky complexion.
Amar Durga
The serial premiered on 18 January, 2016. Starring Sanghamitra Talukdar and Hritojeet Chattopadhyay in lead roles, Amar Durga recounts the story of a young girl who braves hardships in her life to emerge as a symbol of power in the society.
Bhutu
Arshiya Mukherjee shot to fame with her debut in 2016 and her performance was hugely loved and appreciated. Bhutu is the story of a seven-year-old girl who realises she is dead and wanders around her house as a ghost. Bhutu tries to keep her mother out of harm’s way, and ends up causing a lot of mischief in the process.
Goyenda Ginni
Bengali television had rarely seen characters like Parama Mitra, the protagonist of Goyenda Ginni. She successfully manages household chores on one hand, and solves cases on the other. The daily soap starred Indrani Halder as Parama and she nailed the role. Saheb Chatterjee played her husband while Indrajit Bose played a cop. The show was a huge hit.
Others
Sa Re Ga Ma Pa: You can hear your favourite contestants hum the choicest of songs all over again.
Mirakkel: As the lockdown gets unbearable, you can always count on Mir’s jokes to leave you in splits.
Star Jalsa
Bojhena Se Bojhena
This romantic soap won hearts. It started airing on 2013 and ran till 2016. Starring Yash Dasgupta and Madhumita Sarkar in lead roles, the show focuses on their love story. Yash plays a rich businessman from Kolkata, Aranya Singha Roy, while Madhumita is effortless in her role as a girl-next-door from Malda, a small town in Bengal. It has already started airing.
Sansar Sukher Hoy Romonir Gune
The Bengali soap ran from 2011 to 2013. Set in a small village of Bengal, Bilaspur the story revolves around Lakshmi, who is forced to marry the grandson of the village landlord, Sugoto. However, she owns her responsibilities with a smile and tries her best to unite the disjointed family. Bijaylakshmi Chatterjee and Sukdev were highly praised for their acting.
Gaaner Oparey
The brainchild of Rituparno Ghosh, Gaaner Oparey opened new doors for Bengali television. The serial is centred around Sohini (nickname Pupe), who hails from a family that worships Rabindranath Tagore, and Gora, a talented but carefree boy, who experiments with Rabindrasangeet. The story traces their relationship through an imaginative portrayal of Tagore, his ideals and the significance they hold today. Gaaner Oparey will air from 6 April.
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