When Ritwick Chakraborty first stepped into the shoes of Advocate Achinta Aich, he wasn’t sure how audiences would respond to a relatively unestablished lawyer taking on the legal giants of his time. But the first season of Advocate Achinta Aich found its footing with viewers, not just as a legal drama but as a story of perseverance, principle, and quiet courage. Now, Ritwick returns to reprise the titular role in Advocate Achinta Aich 2— a second outing he admits is both rare and rewarding.

“You don’t often get to do the same role twice,” he tells me over the phone. “It’s rare, so I’m very grateful. The audience has to like a project enough for there to be a season two. This time, Achinta is slightly more confident in his demeanour. He’s still unsure of many things, but there’s growth compared to the first season.”

The new season opens with Achinta being thrust into a case on the very day of his engagement. A desperate young girl named Nupur drags him into her world, where her father — a driver awaiting execution — is accused of the rape and murder of 16-year-old Dyuti Chatterjee. The case, tied to a wealthy and powerful family, has already been sensationalised in the media, painting the man as guilty. For Achinta, who is no heavyweight in the legal fraternity, the decision to take up the case is as dangerous as it is principled.

“It’s not just a court battle this time,” Ritwick reflects. “He is fighting for a man accused of rape and murder — that too of a minor. So he’s also fighting society at large. It affects him personally, and that intensity adds a lot of weight to the season.” There’s a scene where the accused driver’s daughter asks Achinta, ‘What is rape?’, a chilling scene.

Playing Achinta again, however, came with its own challenges. Ritwick says he had to revisit his own work before stepping back into the character. “I had to watch the previous season. I had to feel and remember what I was thinking during the shooting of season one. The mannerisms differ from character to character, but with Achinta I had to think again about how he reacts, how he walks, how he behaves. I haven’t often had the chance to play the same role twice — one was Gora, and now Achinta.”

The legal battle this season pits Achinta against Advocate Nandini Ganguly, a POCSO expert, played by a seasoned Sohini Sengupta. Ritwick admits the fight is anything but straightforward. “Since it’s regarding an underage girl, POCSO gets involved. Achinta is not a very learned lawyer, and the one he goes against is a specialist. The fight is going to be very tough because he’s standing up to a very powerful lawyer. The path is never easy for Achinta.”

On screen, the courtroom may be charged with fire and friction, but behind the scenes Ritwick finds comfort in familiar collaborations. “Sohini and I share a friendship and a comfort zone. And working with Joydeepda (Mukherjee; director) is very comfortable. His homework is always thorough, his shoots are very planned, and it’s a great experience to collaborate with him again. He’s Eken’s director now too, so very popular! But what matters is how the unit feels when you are shooting — it’s very important. And with his immaculate planning, an actor enjoys his sets.”

Visually, Advocate Achinta Aich 2 takes a darker, more layered approach than its predecessor. The cinematography lingers on shadows, crowded cityscapes, and the hushed corners of the courtroom, reflecting the moral ambiguity at the heart of the case. The camera frequently frames Achinta in wide shots against imposing backdrops, temples, courtrooms, and the looming Calcutta skyline, underscoring how small and vulnerable he appears before the machinery of power. The pacing is taut, with sharply edited sequences that cut between legal arguments, news reportage, and Achinta’s private moments of doubt, giving the series both urgency and intimacy.

Narratively, the second season is less about Achinta proving himself in a singular case and more about testing the very foundations of his ideals. The writing pushes him into murky ethical terrain, where truth is not always clear-cut and justice collides with privilege. Family dynamics play a stronger role too, with Achinta’s fiance’s presence and his personal life interrupted by the case adding a deeper emotional layer. The inclusion of media trials, social backlash, and the menacing weight of public opinion makes the story feel firmly rooted in contemporary India, where class divides and moral panic often dictate the narrative long before the verdict is announced.

Between packed schedules and demanding roles, Ritwick has found ways to strike balance. “Some months are consecutively packed, but some are not. I make sure to spend time with my family, read books, and tend to my plants. During shooting schedules I get very little time, but I manage. I try not to take on too many projects together.”

As Advocate Achinta Aich 2 streams on Hoichoi, Ritwick’s return feels less like a reprise and more like a deepening of the role. If season one introduced audiences to the uncertain but determined young lawyer, season two promises to test his principles against the weight of class bias, public outrage, and social prejudice.

And in Ritwick’s words, it’s clear that Achinta’s fight this time isn’t just legal — it’s deeply human.