Internal conflict is the most intriguing trait of my character in Mukti, says Ritwick Chakraborty

In the Zee5 original web-series Mukti (2022), set in the Indian independence movement of the early 1930s, Ritwick Chakraborty plays deputy jailor Ramkinkar, posted at Midnapore jail. Also starring Arjun Chakraborty, Sudip Sarkar, Ditipriya Roy, Chitrangada Shatarupa and Chandreyee Ghosh, the web-series, directed by Rohan Ghose, narrates a fictional tale of a non-violent protest against the tyrannical jail superintendent Alfred Petty, enacted by Zachery Coffin.

Speaking of his character, Ritwick Chakraborty said, “Ramkinkar is a jailor, but he is no exception to a few other middle-class Bengali people. The job means a lot to him and since he serves as a servant of the British rulers, he agrees on certain ideals with them.”

However, in those days, it was imperative to go along with a lot of humiliation and torture inflicted by the British on freedom fighters. Ramkinkar, too, does the same. Eventually, however, these barbaric incidents in the jail create a conflict within him and set off a process of reflection. According to the actor, this conflict, which eventually leads Ramkinkar towards a different journey of self-realization, is the most intriguing aspect of the character.

“The series is set in pre-Independence India, which involves tyrannical British officers, a jailor and a few political prisoners,” the actor said, “It depicts how, with the passage of time, the characters who undergo inhuman treatment from the British and also those who stand witness to it begin to have their perspectives altered.

"Not many films or series have been made on this subject before," he continued. "We are aware that armed struggle and resistance with non-violence were two parallel strains of the independence movement. In this series, a football match plays a crucial role in taking the story forward in an interesting manner.”

In the series, Ramkinkar’s lost passion for football resurfaces as an opportunity arises to mobilize prison inmates of different ideologies to rise against the colonizers, particularly the ruthless jailor, on the football field. Simultaneous plans are hatched by Dibakar (Arjun Chakraborty) and his team, who infiltrate the jail premises in disguise to execute a bomb blast that would kill a senior British official, set off a prison protest and lead to a prison break.

"A lot of research and hard work have gone into making Mukti," Ritwick said. "The cast is extremely strong and I enjoyed working in the series." Mukti was premiered on Zee5 on 26 January.