Bengali streaming platform Hoichoi has announced a comprehensive lineup of more than 25 films, series, and TV titles to celebrate its 10th anniversary. Headlining the slate is “Maharaja Tomare Selam,” a feature film from director Srijit Mukherji that dramatizes the making of Satyajit Ray’s classic 1969 children’s film, “Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne.” The biopic depicts Ray navigating financial struggles and industry resistance while fulfilling his son’s request to create a kids’ movie.
The film stars Jeetu Kamal, Ritwik Bhowmik, Rudranil Ghosh, Sairity Banerjee, Shatakshy Nandy, and Arijit Dutta. Alongside the biopic, the platform is introducing new entries in popular detective franchises, including “The Eken: Kerala-e Kurukshetra” and a new Feluda mystery.
Directed by Joydeep Mukherjee, “The Eken: Kerala-e Kurukshetra” follows the detective as he is pulled into a Kerala-based investigation after a covert mission goes awry. The cast features Anirban Chakrabarti, Ritwick Chakraborty, Raima Sen, Somak Ghosh, Suhotra Mukhopadhyay, Ambarish Bhattacharya, Arna Mukhopadhyay, Subrat Dutta, and Kamaleswar Mukherjee.
Parambrata Chatterjee returns in a dual role, directing and starring in “Jononi,” a drama about a college professor searching for her housekeeper’s missing teenage daughter, which uncovers unsettling truths closer to home. Koel Mallick, Koneenica Banerjee, and Joy Sengupta also appear in this project.
Additional film offerings include “Bhugun,” directed by Debaloy Bhattacharya and starring Abhishek Banerjee and Parno Mittra, which explores the consequences faced by a wealthy family after striking a bargain with a tantric to restore their fortune.
On the series front, the slate features returning hits such as “Birangana 2,” “Kuheli 2,” “Thakumar Jhuli 2,” “Tansener Tanpura: Mohonbashi,” and “Choddobeshi 2.” New franchise additions include “Feludar Goyendagiri: Baksho Rawhoshyo,” where Feluda investigates a mysterious box switch during a train ride, starring Tota Roy Choudhury, Kalpana Mitra, and Subhadip Chakrabarti.
Chatterjee also directs “Agambagish: Drolmar Khorgo,” starring Saswata Chatterjee as the 17th-century tantric saint Krishnananda Agambagish, who battles a gang of spectral bandits. Other new series include the serial killer thriller “Chaalchitro: The Ekchala Murders,” the domestic drama “Kumari” led by Raima Sen, and the comedy “Shrimoti Not Out,” which follows a 48-year-old woman dealing with an unexpected pregnancy alongside her son’s wedding preparations.
Hoichoi is also branching into animation with “Shri Ramkrishna,” directed by Sanglap Bhowmick, which traces the life of the spiritual master Ramakrishna Paramahansa. The platform continues to support Bangladeshi creators and has expanded its technology stack, including the launch of Hoichoi FM for audio fiction and Sooper for microdramas.
Soumya Mukherjee, COO of Hoichoi, emphasized the cultural impact of the platform. “For me, 10 years of Hoichoi is not just about the number of shows we have made or the milestones we have crossed. It is about the stories, characters and creators that have stayed with people and, in many ways, become part of Bengali popular culture,” Mukherjee said. “Ten years later, that belief remains the same, but the possibilities around those stories have become much bigger.”
Vishnu Mohta, Hoichoi co-founder and LoglineAI co-founder, highlighted the role of technology in the next phase of growth. “The next decade is about expanding what that platform can become. Technology, AI and new formats are opening up possibilities that simply didn’t exist when we started. Our ambition is to use those possibilities without losing the cultural instinct and storytelling sensibility that made Hoichoi what it is,” Mohta stated.
Hoichoi’s library currently boasts over 600 Bengali films and more than 200 original series, available to viewers in India, Bangladesh, and internationally. The company generates revenue through subscriptions, licensing, branded content, theatrical releases, and distribution deals.
Kerala-e Kurukshetra sounds promising, but I am skeptical about another detective franchise entry. Let’s see if the plot has enough freshness or if it just rides on nostalgia.
Ten years and still going strong. It’s impressive how Hoichoi has carved out its own identity while expanding into microdramas and audio fiction. Here’s to the next decade!
Shri Ramkrishna as an animated series? That is such a bold and interesting choice. I hope they handle the spiritual aspects with the depth and respect they deserve.
I’m mostly here for the new Feluda mystery. Parambrata Chatterjee returning in a dual role is always a win. Hope the writing matches the legacy of these detective franchises.
Finally, a proper Satyajit Ray biopic! Srijit Mukherji directing this feels like the perfect creative pairing. Cannot wait to see how they portray the Goopy Gyne journey.