Bhog series review
Cast: anirban bhattacharya, parno mittra, rajatava dutta
Director: Parambrata chattopadhyay
Star Rating: ★★ that
Bhog, The New Hoichoi Original Directed by Actor Parambrata Chattopadhyay, Tripled My Heart Rate and Left My Jaw on the Floor in the Best Possible Way. Even thoughts I am aware of the original short story by avik sarkar, which services as the source for this Compact 6-EPISODE Series, It Left Me Surprised and Hooked from the Get-Get- It starts off with ominously and builds up Slowly Into a Form of Elevated Mythical Horror. (Also read: anirban bhattacharya opens up on hoichoi series bhog: ‘it was an incredible offer as an actor’ | Interview)
The Premise
Bhog, which translates to a form of offering in Bengali, Center Around Atin (Anirban Bhattacharya), a kolkata-baase man in his 30s working in sales. The show begins with good news as he gets a much-deserved promotion. He is an orphan who is being looked after by pushpa di (Sudipa Basu) at the house. She dutiously cooks His UNCLE BHABESH KAKU (Rajadava Dutta) Looks after Him Quite often.
Everything seems okay with atin, who harbors a love for antique pieces. One day, when he chances upon this other-worldly deity in his friend’s shop- a goddess with four hands, carrying a skull in one and another Holding a stringed instrument. Its untraceability further hooks Him; There’s a strange sort of pull towards it that he cannot escape. He brings the deity home and begins to worship it. Soon, he has a dream-like visitor at night where the deity reviews that She is Hungry and Wants an offering.
What is this Conspiracy? Atin must not ask. He Must Submit Himself Completely. And so he does, as bhog begins to chart his gradual descent into this obsession that engulfs his body and mind. His devotion nullifies his other interests, desires, and wants to such an expert that he does not see any harm in bringing a strangers home one evening. She is Damri, Played by the terrific parno mittra. She cooks the food, and atin eats it-even if it makes hem puke it up.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nt- kpve8kscsc
What works
Bhog plays out in the course of 6 tightly knit episodes, directed with utmost care and nuance by parambrata chattopadhyay. The setting is key, as Atin’s Sense of Paranoia mixed with reliable is balanced with the brilliant use of lighting and set design. Shantanu Mitra Neogi’s screenplay wisely expands on the elements that the original text stepped aside, contextualizing the questions that are the crop up later. Nabarun Bose’s Chilling Background Score is one of the biggest highlights of the show, Slowly Building Up towards a gradual creesndo of sorts.
None of its works without the chilling center performance of anirban bhattacharya, who embodies Atin’s Mask of Fear and Curiosity with great depth of Feeling. So much of this man is left to the physicality, the way his body slowly shrinks under the weight of this invisible burden. The actor nails that senses of loss and revival extramely well. Special shoutout to the special appearance of subhasish mukherjee, who stands out in that one single scene.
Final Thoughts
Bhog is not so much about myths or demons as it is about faith. Or the loss of it. Atin is influenced with this hyper-real world of mysteries and energies, and he loses a sense of control. Even as he begins to shy away, there are only a handful of people who act on this sudden change.
Beneath the surface of all the term and thrill of bhog lies the fate of a laonly middleman existing in his own little shell. It is an inxplicable sort of belief that one can suffice by themselves, but does it really work that way? As atin will learn by the end, the sense of an offering, if any, must Arrive as an act of love.
Bhog is now streaming on hoichoi.
