Shankha Dasgupta: Meet the genius behind Guti

Shankha Dasgupta is the genius behind Guti, and anyone who has followed his work over the years knows precisely how exceptional he is. The much-anticipated show, Guti, came out on Chorki in January, leaving the viewers binging. There was a photoshoot where the lead characters paid homage to the award-winning show, Breaking Bad, which went viral. The seven-part series gives us insight into Dhaka's drug peddling/smuggling scene of Dhaka and tells the gritting tale of drug smuggler Sultana, played by the versatile actress Azmeri Haque Badhan. 

Guti also features Shahriar Nazim Joy, Sharif Siraj, Moushumi Hamid, Nasir Uddin Khan, Arya Aritra, Tuntuni Sobhan, Arfan Mridha Shiblu, and Mahmudul among others. 

While the cast certainly played a sizable role in all the praises the show is receiving from its audience, the director's immaculate storytelling abilities really make it stand out. Guti, which was meant to be a film, was deconstructed into several parts to form a web series, and the rest is history. Through his story, Shankha explores the nuances and grey that make up the world of drug smuggling and peddling. 

Sultana, the protagonist, finds herself in the heart of a local drug smuggling network which requires one to be ruthless and chaotic. Still, Shankha highlights her warmer and softer side as Sultana is also portrayed as an affectionate mother who wants a better life for her daughter. The series was shot in Dhaka, Cumilla, and Chattogram and is currently streaming in Chorki. 

Shankha Dasgupta, the talented director started his journey as a young prodigy in 2007, directing various television dramas and commercials for local and international clients. His talent was apparent right from the get-go, but Dasgupta really took off in 2012. 

He directed the film Hello Amit and also directed a commercial for Robi Nobanno, which saw him bag the best director award from Srijon Shonman in Kolkata. He also started his own production house named Filmy Features, which also doubled down as a learning centre for aspiring film professionals around this time. Shankha then went on to direct the telefilm Taxi in 2014 and a commercial for Doze internet under this banner. He is also the co-founder of One Minute Film.

 Guti, which was initially supposed to be a short film which, eventually could not materialise due to the pandemic. He later submitted the story to the minds of Chorki, who unsurprisingly loved it. You have to check it out if you haven't already!