PHOTO: SHEIKH MEHEDI MORSHED

SHARMIN JOYA

“How was a family of nine convinced to take their own lives together, in unison, without any of them attempting to escape?” — This haunting question consumed Vicky Zahed after he learned about the real-life tragedy of the Adam family that unfolded in 2007 in Mymensingh.

Drawing from these disturbing events and weaving them with his own imagination, Vicky candidly opens up about his latest release, Chokro 2 , which emerged as one of the standout highlights on OTT platforms this Eid-ul-Fitr.

How much of the rituals shown in ‘Chokro’ about the mysterious ‘Adam Family’ are based on real events?

Many of the rituals depicted in the ‘Adam Family’ case were based on research from real scriptures and historical references. I prefer to keep the sources anonymous; information on how such practices may have worked was collected and then combined with fictional elements to build the story.

There seems to be a significant shift in tone between Season 1 and Season 2. Was this a conscious creative decision?

It was intentional. Season 1 was designed to be more subtle and scientific, focusing on the ‘Adam’ belief system and exploring ideas like brain manipulation, shared hallucination, and neuroscience.

Season 2, on the other hand, moves in a more commercial and dramatic direction. There was pressure from OTT platforms to deliver a strong hit after a gap in successful content, which influenced the shift in tone to more commercial, which actually worked!

As a result, Season 2 leans more into fiction and mythology, with a bolder, more ‘loud’ storytelling style. While my personal preference remains the quieter, more restrained approach of Season 1.

‘Chokro’ can be said to be a landmark in the psychological thriller genre in Bangladeshi content. What was your specific vision for achieving this status?

I aimed to create something that this generation would remember as a landmark in psychological thrillers and cult storytelling. I wanted to move away from typical ghost stories and build a more layered, unsettling experience.

Even though it isn’t traditional horror, the fact that audiences still feel genuinely disturbed or afraid shows that the impact has come through as intended.

You seem to have a specific pattern with different OTT platforms when it comes to the genres and stories you explore. How do you decide which platform is the right fit for your craziest ideas?

While there is no formal arrangement with any platform, a clear pattern has emerged in terms of their willingness to take risks. I have found that iScreen and Channel i are the platforms most open to my more unconventional and out-of-the-box ideas. Whenever I present a truly unusual or horror-driven concept—like Punorjonmo or Chokro —they have backed me, and those projects have consistently found success there. On the other hand, platforms such as Chorki and Hoichoi generally tend to prefer more grounded, realistic narratives.

There are speculations that you’re going to make a silver screen debut with ‘Pulsirat’, featuring Afran Nisho and Mehazabien Chowdhury?

I have signed a contract with Alpha-i, and I will be making the film soon; however, no cast members have been officially signed as of yet! But yes, I do wish to work on my first feature film with this duo. For now, I want to keep all the attention fully focused on the immense success of Chokro .