Birangana

Birangana just dropped on Hoichoi today-and I binged it right away. Here's my unfiltered take:

Right from the opening scene, Birangana hits you with this eerie hush over a wedding venue where a fresh bride lies lifeless in the rain. The visuals are gritty, raw and frankly hypnotic-like something you're forced to watch even when it scares you.

Sandipta Sen as SI Chitra Basu? Absolute fire. She's out there in a no-makeup, no-glam showdown, navigating a male-dominated police setup, clenched jaw, eyes burning with resolve-never seen her like this before. It's her first time playing a cop and she throws herself into it, both physically and emotionally. You feel her fight every step of the way-not just chasing killers, but battling systemic patriarchy.

Then there's Niranjan Mondal aka Laughtersane, making his acting debut as Chirayu Talukdar, the soft-spoken florist who somehow just knows things. His stillness is haunting-simple quiet presence that messes with your nerves, because you keep wondering "What is he hiding?" The trailer even got fans guessing if he's the killer behind the serial bride murders or part of something bigger.

Plot-wise, it's a gripping combination of how-dunit and why-dunit. Chitra's investigating these married women's deaths that authorities had chalked up as suicides. But she isn't buying it-she senses a pattern, a twisted ritual-and digs deeper. Every clue she unearths feels tight-rope suspense. When the day-to-day grind of investigation transitions to midnight interrogations and chase sequences, the tension ratchets up sharply.

The director is clearly back in his crime-thriller zone after a few other hits, and Birangana seems to complete a sort of hat-trick of gritty female-led suspense thrillers. His style sprawls between moody atmosphere, shadowy frames, and emotional punches. You feel the weight of Kolkata as much as the weight of Chitra's uniform.

Supporting cast like Anirban Bhattacharya, Pratik Dutta, Aditya Sengupta, and Sreya Bhattacharyya-they're all layered in the background, giving density to the cops, suspects, and street life in the city. It never felt like filler-they add believable life to the world around Chitra.

Watching it today, I felt emotionally raw-there were confronting scenes of trauma, street-level sexism, and grief. Yet the way it's shot kept me hooked: long takes, close-ups that hold on emotion, rain-drenched alleys, the grim silence of funeral pyres. The pacing is tight-just enough build-up, just enough reveal. But at times a scene felt stretched, like emotional beats dragged a bit too long. Could've tightened episode two a bit more.

Still, as someone who craves Bengali OTT content with depth and guts-Birangana delivers. It flips the trope of damsel-in-distress on its head: here's a cop refusing to back down, refusing to shrink. And the killer's identity? Oh man, the finale hit me with chills. I won't spoil it. But you definitely don't see some twists coming.

Overall, I'm impressed. It's raw, edgy, feminist without being loud, grounded in Kolkata's underbelly, and powered by Sandipta's charged performance. Laughtersane surprises you with quiet menace. The direction knows how to build suspense and dive into power structures. It's not perfect-some pacing issues here and there-but on balance it's a gripping, female-led, socially conscious thriller like we don't often see in Bengali OTT.

If you've got Hoichoi, drop everything and start Birangana. It's the kind of show that stays with you beyond the screen-makes you think about who speaks, who's silenced, and who has the courage to dig. And that scream-silence-anger mix Sandipta brings? Next level.

Movies and Web Series are trying to explore fresh things these days. However, this is not the first time. But there is a difference. Trending theme is exploring crime and tell a story about new genre of Crime. This leaves a limited choice. Exploring same theme in Movies and Web Series with afresh is obviously difficult. After all, how many stories can be written on a same plot? As a result, efforts are on to make Celluloid portrayal of psychological and psychriatic disorders as the genesis of crime. The word psycho is a household term for Movie lovers today. The point remains justification of complex medical term related to psychological disorders. This may trigger a larger debate in the days ahead.

The new Bengali Web Series Birangana narrates serial killing. The criminal has a traumatic past as the conjugal bonding of his parents broke down during his childhood days. He suffers from the prejudice that a devorcee woman having child can't marry again for ethical reasons. He kills those women engaging someone despite having child already. He kills the women during the wedding ceremony. At last, the police solves the case exploring the clue.

The theme may seem new. But in reality, it's not so. In the complex criminal psychology many things happen. Fact is : every crime has its own psychological implication. The crime narrated in this Web Series is just another one. Rather, this is stereotypical crime story with obvious shortcomings in theme, characterization and execution. Here also, popularity dominates over cinematic vision. It also fails to keep intact the element of surprise. Nothing new nor that much worthy this is. Anyway, one may try.

Birangana doesn't just tell a story-it dares you to look deeper. Set in the backdrop of Kolkata's quiet, grieving lanes, this crime-thriller emerges as an emotionally intense, socially driven narrative with sharp teeth and a haunting heart.

At its core, the show unravels a series of disturbing deaths, each woman-a bride, each death-staged as a suicide. Enter Chitra Basu, a tough, wounded sub-inspector brought to life with quiet brilliance by Sandipta Sen. Her character, resilient yet scarred, becomes the emotional anchor of the series. Chitra isn't a superhero cop. She's broken, compassionate, and burning for answers. And that's what makes her unforgettable.

Director Nirjhar Mitra avoids the trappings of flashy crime dramas and instead, leans into mood, atmosphere, and character. Birangana doesn't rush-it unfolds. Every frame is laced with subdued menace: empty alleyways, floral arrangements dripping with symbolic dread, and shadowy silences that say more than dialogues. The pacing is taut, yet patient-like a poem that flirts with pain.

The presence of Niranjan Mondal (Laughtersane), in a surprising and eerie turn as Chirayu Talukdar, adds a disarming stillness to the chaos. His portrayal is wordless, almost spectral-but magnetic. He's not the villain you understand; he's the one you feel watching you.

One of Birangana's strongest suits lies in its psychological depth. Rather than obsessing over 'who did it', the show masterfully explores why these crimes happened and how society silently watches. It addresses trauma, grief, police bias, and misogyny-not through monologues, but through emotional moments and layered storytelling.

Technically, the show impresses. Even its all episodes feel tight, cinematic, and purposeful.

"Birangana" is more than a thriller-it's a slow-burn elegy wrapped in suspense. Haunting, humane, and cinematically sharp, it proves that silence can be more chilling than screams.

Highly recommended for viewers who crave emotional thrillers with a conscience.

You'll know who the killer is within minutes.

Waste of time - idiotic screenplay, nonsense psychological angle, and brainless police work. No thrill at all since the culprit is clear from the very beginning.

Sandipta Sen and Niranjan Mondal as the lead actors. Sandipta Sen plays the role of Sub-Inspector Chitra Basu, while Niranjan Mondal portrays Chirayu, a mysterious character.

The acting skills are very weak. Not a single actor could perform properly! The story is also very ordinary. Anyone can guess the plot and the killer right from the beginning. The climax is highly predictable. One particular aspect has been emphasized here, which is quite realistic - when a couple gets divorced or separated, how badly it affects the children has been carefully portrayed. Honestly speaking, if you have a lot of free time, then you may watch it.