What happens when a kidnapping plot, a love story, a feared local politician, an eccentric masseuse and an emotionally unstable cop find themselves in the same fictional town? The answer is Virginpur, KLIKK’s upcoming original series that promises to blend dark comedy, crime and romance into one wildly unpredictable ride.
Produced by Films and Frames, Virginpur marks the directorial debut of Shubhodip Mukherjee and has been created by Joydip Banerjee, with a story and screenplay by Rudradeep Chanda and dialogues by Soumit Deb. Featuring Rwitobroto Mukherjee, Satyam Bhattacharya, Sharly Modak, Nishantika Das, Biswajit Das, Deboprasad Haldar, Subhojit Kar and an ensemble cast, the series blends dark comedy, crime and romance.
(From left) Sharly Modak, Satyam Bhattacharya, Suvajit Kar and Nishantika Das
At the centre of the story is Jitu, played by Rwitobroto Mukherjee, an innocent village boy who arrives in Virginpur dreaming of an ordinary college life. Instead, he stumbles into a bizarre world populated by larger-than-life personalities. He quickly develops feelings for Rai, a smart and independent young woman staying at Madam Nivas, the boarding house where Jitu also finds accommodation. But before romance has a chance to blossom, both are pulled into an elaborate kidnapping conspiracy orchestrated by Deba, the self-proclaimed “manager” of the boarding house and the undisputed senior of the college.
Things spiral further out of control when Atom, the son of the feared local political heavyweight Bom’Babu, becomes the target of a multi-crore ransom plan. As Bom’Babu launches a relentless hunt for those responsible, another unpredictable force enters the picture — an emotionally volatile police officer carrying demons of his own. Every character has something to gain, something to hide and someone to outwit, creating a narrative that constantly shifts between laughter and danger.
For director Shubhodip Mukherjee, Virginpur is the culmination of years spent working behind the camera. Having served as chief associate director on several KLIKK originals, Mukherjee says stepping into the director’s chair was both exciting and nerve-racking.
Mukherjee believes the casting was one of the project’s biggest strengths. Several actors, he says, were finalised even before shooting began because they perfectly matched the characters envisioned during the scripting stage. “We always knew Rwitobroto would be our Jitu and Sharly would play Rai. Nishantika’s audition immediately convinced us she was perfect for Jhinti. Biswajit Das had exactly the nuances Bom’Babu required, while Satyam Bhattacharya and Deboprasad Haldar were automatic choices because of their incredible versatility.”
According to the director, the actors became so immersed in their roles that his job became remarkably simple. “They became the characters and all I had to do was capture the moments,” he says.
Creator Joydip Banerjee describes Virginpur as a make-believe town filled with colourful suburban characters inspired by everyday Bengal. “The reality around us is often stranger and funnier than satire,” he says. “These characters are inspired by people we see every day. We have simply exaggerated them enough to fit the world of a pulpy comedy thriller.” Banerjee calls the project particularly special because it marks the directorial debut of one of his closest collaborators. He also remembers the shoot as much for its laughter as for its challenges. Filmed during Bengal’s sweltering April heat, the production remained remarkably cheerful.
Rwitobroto Mukherjee says one of the greatest strengths of Virginpur lies in its writing. “The screenplay itself tells you how the character should behave,” he says. “Shubhodip Mukherjee and Joydip Banerjee also gave me enormous freedom to explore Jitu without imposing restrictions.” The actor fondly remembers constantly breaking into laughter during takes because of the witty dialogue. “There were days when we simply couldn’t complete a scene because we were laughing at the punchlines ourselves. That’s the kind of atmosphere we had throughout the shoot.”
Sharly Modak, who plays Rai, believes her character represents strength without losing sensitivity. “Rai is financially independent, practical and emotionally honest. She may appear tough on the outside, but she values trust, care and mutual respect above everything else. That’s what makes her relationship with Jitu special.”
For Nishantika Das, who essays the eccentric Jhinti, the challenge lay in discovering the humanity beneath the comic exterior. “Joydip Banerjee asked me to find the ‘Jhinti’ within myself,” she recalls. “She may belong to an imaginary world, but her dreams, emotions and insecurities are completely real.” Nishantika also remembers the warmth shared by the cast off camera. Meals were shared together, celebrations became routine and friendships developed naturally over the course of filming. One particularly memorable moment involved the mysterious arrival of something everyone on set referred to as the “Anaconda”. Curious, she later discovered it wasn’t a reptile at all, but the nickname for the giant portable cooling machine that helped everyone survive the punishing summer heat.
Joydip Banerjee
Satyam Bhattacharya, who plays Deba, believes audiences will initially see his character as an exaggerated neighbourhood strongman before gradually discovering a far more vulnerable side. “He has tremendous swagger and everyone is afraid of him,” Satyam says. “But beneath that exterior is a deeply human individual. His emotional journey was the biggest reason I accepted the role. I can’t reveal much now, but once audiences watch the series they’ll understand why his arc is so important.” He describes Virginpur as a quirky, contemporary dark comedy whose biggest strength lies in its ensemble performances. “The writing, the performances and the work done by the entire crew have made this an entertaining watch.”
Biswajit Das, who plays Bom’Babu, says he consciously avoided turning the character into a caricature. “I drew inspiration from the eccentric people we encounter in everyday life,” he says. “The writing already had the nuances. My job was simply to make him believable.” Looking back, Biswajit says the warmth shared by the cast and crew became one of the defining aspects of the production. Whether it was rehearsing scenes, sharing jokes between takes or laughing over unexpected incidents, that sense of togetherness, he believes, will be evident on screen.
With its blend of quirky humour, offbeat characters, emotional relationships and edge-of-the-seat suspense, Virginpur promises to offer viewers a distinctly different flavour of Bengali entertainment. Set in a town where almost anything can happen and no one is quite what they seem, the KLIKK original arrives this July.