Mukti trailer: Powerful portrayal of prisoners' patriotic zeal on the football field

The trailer for Zee5’s upcoming original web-series Mukti, directed by Rohan Ghose and starring Ritwick Chakraborty, Arjun Chakraborty, Sudip Sarkar and Satyam Bhattacharya, raises anticipation with glimpses of powerful performances and a layered portrayal of a fictional story set in the time of India's independence movement.

It's the year 1931 and political prisoners in Midnapore jail receive barbaric treatment from the British staff. Dibakar (Arjun), one of the revolutionaries in prison, refuses to bow down to the ruthlessness of the officers and seizes every opportunity to showcase his undaunted spirit by provoking the Indian staff working for the British, often getting into scuffles.

Rehmat (Sarkar), on the other hand, propagates the idea of non-violent resistance and raises his voice against lawlessness in the prison despite also receiving inhuman treatment.

Around this time, a football match is being organized in honour of a dignitary who is to visit the prison to attend the inauguration of a new wing. However, when it becomes difficult to put together a proper team to play against the jail staff in the short span of time available, deputy jailor Ramkinkar (Ritwick) suggests that some of the prisoners could be fielded as a team.

His superior scoffs at the suggestion and promises to quit India if the prisoners can defeat his men.

On the other hand, the prisoners led by Rehmat, Dibakar and Satyam Bhattacharya’s character see this as an opportunity to gain freedom without resorting to violence.

The graphic depiction of the torture inflicted on the prisoners as well as the rigorous training sessions they undertake for the match bring forth a patriotic spirit.

Besides the match, the trailer, which begins with a chant of Vande Mataram, suggests several subplots involving the characters played by Chitrangada Shatarupa and Chandreyee Ghosh, who seem to be risking their lives in an attempt to organize a force against the British.

On the other hand, Ditipriya Roy’s portrayal of Ramkinkar’s wife promises to add shades to the character of her husband and bring out a different facet of women’s contribution to the freedom struggle.

“It has been a privilege for me to work in the directorial venture of Rohan Ghose, produced by Fatfish Entertainment,” said Arjun Chakraborty. “Mukti has a strong cast and crew. My overall experience of working with the team has been great and I feel the energy will be reflected on screen as well.”

According to the actor, though Mukti is a period piece set in the freedom struggle, its theme is relevant even today because it is not just about battling foreign rule, but all kinds of oppression. The series will be premiered on the country's 73^rd Republic Day later this month and the actor thinks there could not have been a more appropriate release date.

Ditipriya Roy said, “Zee5 has returned with Bengali content after long and I am playing Ramkinkar’s wife in it. I was excited as I got to work with Ritwick-da, who happens to be one of my favourite actors, for the first time.”

Roy enjoyed the experience of playing a character from a different era. “My character, despite hailing from the 1930s, is quite liberal and inquisitive," she said. "She has a lot of questions. She goes through a lot, which adds to the progression of the plot as well.”

Mukti will be streamed on Zee5 from 26 January. Watch the trailer below and let us know if you are keen to watch the series.