Actor Vikram Chatterjee is stepping into a new role with the Bangla Zee5 series Taarkata, a wacky action-revenge drama that promises dark humour and gritty action. The series marks Vikram’s first production venture under his banner, VC Films (Vikram Chatterjee Films). The series, directed by Samik Roy Choudhury, also brings together an interesting ensemble cast. Alongside Vikram, the series features Meiyang Chang, Priyanka Sarkar, Srijit Mukherji, Satyam Bhattacharya, Ayush Das and Sushmita Roy. One of the talking points is the casting of Meiyang Chang, who will appear in a Bengali series for the first time.
Describing the show, Vikram says Taarkata is “a crazy, wacky action revenge drama” that blends intense action with dark humour. The story revolves around an ex-cop who comes back to his hometown under complicated circumstances to probe a critical death that may or may not be linked to his suppressed past.
“Getting into production was something I would have done eventually, maybe a couple of years down the line. Bangla Zee5 asked if I wanted to produce the show. Since they showed faith in me, I decided to take it up and execute it now,” said Vikram. "Taarkata promises to bring an elaborate cast and an interesting mix. We are looking at a world which is familiar yet unknown to the Bengali audience. With Taarkata, the biggest USP would be the collaborations that we are exploring in this series. I am sure it's going to be a fun watch," said Rusa Banerjee, business head, Bangla Zee5.
Vikram had been hoping to collaborate with Samik Roy Choudhury for some time. “I’ve seen his work and really like the way he thinks and executes ideas.” According to Vikram, Samik’s creative energy and “crazy side” are exactly what the series needs.
The protagonist’s look will also be noticeably different from Vikram’s previous roles. He has grown his hair and beard and shed weight to create a leaner, more rugged appearance. The title 'taarkata' itself refers to the protagonist’s persona, and Vikram describes him as “wacky, with a strange sense of humour, but also raw, no-nonsense and determined to get what he wants.”
While the actor admits that juggling acting and producing can be challenging, he says careful planning has helped. The team began working on the project months ago, which allowed them to map out the production process before shooting began. Once filming starts, Vikram plans to focus primarily on acting. Looking ahead, Vikram says Taarkata is just the beginning of his journey as a producer. VC Films is already exploring multiple scripts, but he intends to move cautiously. “I’m not in a hurry to make multiple films in a year,” he said. “I want to be very sure about the stories we choose.”
As for the genres he hopes to explore, the actor-producer is open to experimenting. While Taarkata sits firmly in the action-dark comedy space, he is equally interested in making love stories, thrillers, and whodunits. “I’d also love to tell stories about friendship,” he adds. “We don’t see too many Bengali films being made on that theme.” With filming set to begin from today, Taarkata marks an important new chapter in Vikram Chatterjee’s career — one that sees him expanding from actor to storyteller and producer, while continuing to experiment with bold, unconventional narratives.
Arindam Chatterjee
