Set over the course of a single night, Gorky-r Ma delves into the fragile boundaries between truth and perception. The story follows Manik, a man hired by a ruthless real estate developer to acquire an ancestral house by any means necessary. On the verge of beginning a new married life, Manik sees the assignment as yet another compromise in his search for financial security and stability. Inside the house lives Labanya, a solitary widow fiercely protective of her home and silence. What begins as a calculated confrontation gradually spirals into an unsettling psychological battle. The unexpected return of her son, Gorky, disrupts Manik’s control and transforms the night into a tense and unpredictable confrontation.
As the hours pass, the house itself becomes a claustrophobic space where past and present collide. Labanya’s grief grows increasingly ambiguous, while Manik finds himself torn between fear, guilt, and the life waiting for him outside. Through shifting truths, mounting silences, and blurred intentions, Gorky-r Ma — starring Ananya Chatterjee, Saurav Das, and Darshana Banik — raises disturbing questions about morality and survival. Known for his layered storytelling and atmospheric narratives, Debaloy Bhattacharya crafts a story that blends psychological tension with deeply human emotions. The series also carries strong undertones of nostalgia, student politics, and social unrest, adding further depth to its haunting narrative world. Gorky-r Ma streams on Fridaay OTT platform from May 22.
“I have played the role of a mother here — a mother for whom principles, ideals, and values are greater than life itself, and the story explores how far she can go to protect and preserve those beliefs and values. This is my first project with Debaloy Bhattacharya. He is an extremely talented director. The script and screenplay are beautifully written. I truly enjoyed working on it. Every actor has performed wonderfully. This is also my first project with Saurav Das, and it was a very good experience working with him. Overall, I really enjoyed the entire experience. It’s a work with a distinct flavour — something different. The series carries a strong sense of nostalgia, bringing back the atmosphere of our college days, the culture of student politics, and the essence of that entire time,” said Ananya.
“The characters that Debaloy brings to me — the ones he believes I can portray — those characters require a certain amount of inner breaking to inhabit them truly. A lot of that process is helped by the conversations I have with the directorial team. I ask a few questions and I get answers. The director also asks me many questions. Through all these discussions, a character slowly takes shape. This character belongs to a family living in a slum beside the railway tracks. Darshana and I share a marital relationship in the story. Then, when we step out at night, something happens that completely changes the entire scenario,” said Saurav.
“What does a newly married woman want from her husband? A newly married woman wants a little happiness, comfort, and immense peace from her husband. Even if there isn’t a lot of luxury, lavish outings, or excessive comfort — just a little happiness and a little more peace.
In this series, my character is quite similar to that. The look and the character I played belonged to a social background that was completely new to me. And I always try to do work that I haven’t done before,” said Darshana.
“Gorki is a college student whose dream is to study hard, secure a bright future, and live a healthy and peaceful life with his mother. Gorki himself is not interested in politics, but his mother, somewhere deep down, wants her son to become involved in politics... to play a major role in it. Gorki never wanted that,” said Soham Basu Roy Chowdhury.
