In the trailer for Srijit Mukherji's upcoming Hoichoi web-series Feludar Goyendagiri (2022), the titular detective and his companions Topse and Jatayu get entangled in a murder mystery in Darjeeling.
Based on Satyajit Ray's story Darjeeling Jomjomat, the film will see Tota Roy Chowdhury, Kalpan Mitra and Anirban Chakrabarti reprise their roles from Mukherji's first Feluda web-series Feluda Pherot (2020).
The trailer shows Lalmohan Ganguly aka Jatayu asking Feluda and Topse to accompany him to Darjeeling where a reputed filmmaker from Mumbai is shooting a film based on his story. Jatayu's excitement infects the other two, and they set out for the town in the Himalayan foothills.
The shooting takes place at the residence of Birupakkho Majumdar (Barun Chanda), which is full of antique collections, including a precious statue. As mystery follows Feluda wherever he goes, Birupakkho soon confesses to him that many people would try to harm him to possess the priceless collection.
Birupakkho's fears turn real as he is murdered and the entire shooting scenario turns into a crime scene. The dead man's relatives and many of the cast and crew become prime suspects as Feluda investigates the case.
The visuals show that Feluda's quest for truth in the film involves multiple twists. While the trailer seems unnecessarily long, the sequence where Feluda falls off a cliff is enough to make his admirers nervous enough to find out how Mukherji has dealt with the rest of the story.
The visuals also make it clear that following the approach used in Feluda Pherot, Mukherji has again depended on Ray's sketches for the look of the characters and the story to retain authenticity.
Speaking of the experience of playing the iconic character, Tota Roy Choudhury said, “Feluda is an emotion for most Bengalis and it’s the same for me. Playing Feluda on screen is truly an honour, and as an actor, I was ecstatic to essay the role."
Roy Chowdhury thanked filmmaker Mukherji and Hoichoi for the opportunity. For the actor, getting into the character, especially his mind, was a challenging yet joyous experience. "I sincerely hope I have been successful in embodying the character for our audience," he said.
Feludar Goyendagiri aims to entertain audiences and, at the same time, remain authentic to the storyline set by Satyajit Ray. The series also marks the beginning of a partnership between Hoichoi and Dolby Atmos.
“Feluda’s stories are something I have wanted to create for a long time, but I wanted to take my time with it," said Mukherji, "Feluda is something Bengalis all over the world are extremely protective about, as I am, and I wanted to do justice to it. Which is why we adapted from existing well-crafted tales about Feluda."
Feludar Goyendagiri will be streamed on Hoichoi from 17 June. Check out the trailer below and let us know if you are keen to watch the series.