On a year-end binge? Directors recommend their favourites!

A plethora of OTT content was released in 2023, captivating audiences and fueling discussions throughout the year. Let's take a glance at the top 5 favourite OTT contents from around the globe, as selected by Bangladeshi renowned directors.

Ashfaque Nipun

My most favourite show from this year is Amazon Prime's "Jubilee". I am a die-hard fan of Vikramaditya Motwane, and boy, the way he ran this humongous show on the Indian Film industry pre and post-partition era, is tremendous! I loved the fact how a tragic love story had woven into the ruthless movie business, its studio and star system and despite whatever happens the show must go on! The cherry on the top is the great soundtrack which grows on you.

I am a huge Scandi Noir and Nordic Noir fan. The show "The Chestnut Man" (Netflix) has all the ingredients of a great Nordic Noir such as violent and gruesome serial murders, a work obsessive female detective, an initially hostile detective partnership, and a dark grizzly, in this case autumnal, mood pervading throughout. For a story concerned with mangled corpses, haunting blood pools, and a weaponisation of a childhood arts and crafts project, there's a neatness to it all that feels oddly storybook.

My next favourite is "The Last of Us" (HBO Max), I loved the terrifying premise of series. It is what if it wasn't a flu-like virus that threatened the existence of humankind, but a parasitic fungus that used rising temperatures to evolve and switch hosts, from ants to humans? Probably the best video game adaptation ever put to screen, the show manages to find humanity in the ruins which makes it worth the hardship.

Another great show, in my opinion, is "Scoop" (Netflix). This series is based on journalist Jigna Vora's biographical memoir Behind Bars in Byculla. What intrigued me the most about this series was the showrunner Hansal Mehta never tried to manipulate the audience in his narrative about the story or any character in particular and that shed all the commercial factors and made the show grittier. It also reflects upon how in different situations and socio-economic stages human behaviour becomes greedy, manipulative, helpless yet strong.

"Beckham" (Netflix) is one of my much-loved shows from this year since I am a huge fan of football, while an anti-United supporter! But David Beckham, the character goes beyond Manchester United. This show successfully dissects the early age of Beckham, his difficult period in England team, the infamous tiff between Sir Alex Ferguson and him and his spicy conjugal life with his wife Victoria Spice. A thoroughly enjoyable show for even a non-football fan and a real-life story of triumph.

Tanim Noor

In my opinion, "The Last of Us" is the best series of the year. Adapted from a video game, its brilliant grip of emotion and engaging plot makes it worth watching. Another series that I liked is "The Railway Men" (Netflix), it tells the heroic true story of railway workers who risked their lives to save thousands during the Bhopal Gas Tragedy in 1984. An absolutely great performance with excellent script. The next project that I prefer is "The Night Agent" (Netflix) -- very entertaining, engaging and thrilling series.

The social and political reality of the contemporary times has once again been portrayed brilliantly in "Mohanagar 2" (Hoichoi). While, Mosharraf Karim's outstanding performance has mesmerised everyone every moment. Fazlur Rahman Babu, Afsana Mimi, Brindabon Das, Tanzika Amin, and Dibya Joyti, all portrayed their roles exceptionally. Congratulations to Ashfaque Nipun, and as an audience, I would like to ask him, when is "Mohanagar 3" coming?

The first spin-off original series in Bangladesh, "Myself Allen Swapan" (Chorki), has been a successful and rewarding production. Nasir Uddin Khan and Mithila's performance were appreciable, leaving a lasting impression on the audience for a long time. Congratulations to the director Shihab Shaheen for this achievement.

Shankha Dasgupta

I would keep the Netflix drama series "The Crown" (Netflix) first, for the solid performances by the artistes and wonderful set design. My second favourite would be "Jubilee" -- thanks to Vikramaditya Motwane for creating a beautiful sweet story that has all elements of emotions perfectly combined within the entire show. Next is "Dahaad" (Amazon Prime), a series that delivers impeccable acting which feels incredibly realistic. The performers bring the characters to life so convincingly that you forget you're watching a work of fiction.

I have to mention "The Railway Men", it is a must watch series for anyone seeking a riveting blend of drama, suspense, and historical intrigue. The storytelling is masterful, weaving together the lives of characters against the backdrop of railway history in a way that keeps you on the edge of your seat. My next favourites are Ashfaque Nipun directorial "Mohanagar 2" particularly for Mosharraf Karim's performance and "Something Like an Autobiography" (Chorki) directed by Mostofa Sarwar Farooki, for its realistic approach and incredible performances by the artistes. Both of the contents have contributed a lot to bring positive changes in the OTT scenario of this year.

Vicky Zahed

If you love cinema, you'll love "Jubilee"! It is a melancholic love letter to cinema. To me, this is Vikramaditya Motwane's best work till date. I am following his work since "Lootera" and he is growing with leaps and bounds.

"The Fall of the house of Usher" (Netflix) is my second favourite this year. Mike Flanagan strikes again! He is an avid Kubrick fan just like me. This info makes his work more appealing to me. His new series is a perfect blend of gothic horror with mystery. On number three I will keep Ashfaque Nipun's "Mohanagar 2", it is one of my favorite shows from Bangladesh. Although I liked season 1 more, but season 2 has its own plus points. In season 2, we see unpredictable layers of OC Harun's character, and as always, Ashfaque Nipun never fails to keep the audience hooked!  Another show, "The Last of Us" is a brilliant work in the dystopian sci-fi genre. The drama has been meticulously constructed throughout the entire show. Bella Ramsay and Pedro Pascal equally shone in this series. Another show from Bangladesh would be "Myself Allen Swapan", which I found a very enjoyable to watch. Shihab Shaheen is aging like a fine wine. Nasir Uddin Khan deserves all the accolades he is getting for this series.

Raka Noshin Nower

This year, my most favourite series would be "Guti" (Chorki), directed by Shankha Dasgupta. As an audience, I watch everything with critical eyes, and to me logic is very important. Being able to keep the logical connection between a contents' plot and sub-plot is very important and I believe the director have done it amazingly. This project seemed flawless to me. The background music was really good, and it was fantastically shot. I have never watched such great show in Bangladesh before. "Dahaad" is another show that kept me engaged, especially the performances, they are just mind-blowing! I am a huge fan of Vijay Varma and he was as always phenomenal.  

The DOP of the project, Tonoy has worked in Bangladesh as well. He did his work brilliantly. The revelation of each episode was intriguing and it is an essential element to keep the audience hooked. Since it is a crime drama, thus the story development is really important, and to me it was just great!

Amongst Bangladeshi shows, I really liked "Mohanagar 2" and actually I have to confess that I watched the first season of "Mohanagar" so late that it made me realised that I should have watched it earlier. The second season is so well made, and it has all the commercial elements in it. I would like to see the 10th season of "Mohanagar" coming in the upcoming years, and I would also want to become a part of it.

I have become Ashfaque Nipun's fan after watching it. His show gave me inspiration and courage as a filmmaker. Another one is Mostofa Sarwar Farooki's "Something Like an Autobiography", it is so believable and close to heart. I really loved its cinematography which created a realistic approach for the film.  

By the end of the year, I watched "The Railway Men", and it made me say, 'What a beautiful series!' Yasha the editor of this film is one my closest friends and she taught me a lot of things. The script is so well written and the writer must be praised for giving such effort. Also, it is a performance-based show, that will keep the audience engaged till the end.

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