Nikhoj

Nikhoj
Release poster
GenreMurder mystery Thriller
Written byAyan Chakraborti
Screenplay byAyan Chakraborti
Directed byAyan Chakraborti
Starring
ComposerRupam Islam
Country of originIndia
Original languageBengali
No. of seasons2
No. of episodes14
Production
ProducersSiddhant Sheth, Abhishek Daga
CinematographyRamyadip Saha
EditorSanglap Bhowmik
Camera setupSingle-camera
Production companyShree Venkatesh Films
Original release
Release2023 (2023) –
present

Nikhoj (transl. Missing) is an Indian Bengali murder mystery thriller web series written and directed by Ayan Chakraborti. Starring Swastika Mukherjee and Tota Roy Chowdhury in the lead roles, the series revolves around investigating the disappearance of Swastika's daughter.

Produced by Shree Venkatesh Films, the cinematography of the series was done by Ramyadip Saha while Sanglap Bhowmik handled the editing. Rupam Islam served as the music director for the series. Two seasons of the series are streaming on the Bengali OTT platform Hoichoi.

Overview

Nikhoj revolves around investigating the sudden disappearance of DCP Brinda Basu's daughter, Diti. News anchor Romit Sen, Diti's boss also becomes a suspect. The first season centers on the initial inquiry, dealing with the inconsistencies in statements and evidence. In the second season, the narrative proceeds with new suspects. Brinda continues her investigation, balancing her professional duty and personal turmoil. Ultimately, the series uncovers the truth behind the disappearance.

Cast

Portrayed by Character 1 2
Swastika Mukherjee Brinda Basu, Deputy Commissioner of Kolkata Police Main
Tota Roy Choudhury Romit Sen, prominent news anchor and Diti's boss
Somashri Bhattacharyya Diti, Brinda's daughter
Koneenica Banerjee Gargi Sen, Romit Sen's wife Recurring
Saoli Chattopadhyay Sahana, Brinda's assistant
Lokenath De Inspector Samanta, Brinda's co-worker
Pratik Dutta Vijay, Diti's co-worker
Priyanka Mondal —
Paran Bandyopadhyay —
Khas Koushik —
Honey Bafna Joydeep, Diti's toxic lover Sudeep's elder brother and lawyer
Rajatava Dutta Ananta Chatterjee, Brinda's mentor and encounter specialist None Recurring

Production

Announcement

An announcement video for the first season was released on 7 July 2023, revealing the lead cast of Swastika Mukherjee and Tota Roy Chowdhury, along with the release date. Official poster of Season 1 was released on 27 June 2023. This marked collaboration between Swastika and Tota after 90 Ghanta in 2006. On 15 April 2024, the second season, "Nikhoj 2" was announced along with 13 other shows, under the announcement titled as "Best of Bengal".

Development

"I prefer taking some time between each project. Writing a screenplay takes a lot of time for me. Besides, I want to handle the job of directing a film or a web series with patience."

— Ayan Chakraborti during an interview, regarding why he took a long gap of three years since his last web series The Judgement Day (2020)

Swastika Mukherjee said in an interview "I play the character of Brinda Basu, DCP Lalbazar. The story delves into her life when she faces the biggest challenge in her professional and personal life. Her daughter goes missing and she takes charge of the investigation. It becomes tricky as none of the identities ideally should supersede the other. She has to strike a balance."

In Nikhoj, Swastika played the role of a police officer for the first time in her carrier.

Filming

A short scene in the first season was filmed at Belgachia Rajbari. The major filming for the first season took place in the summers of April and May 2023. To manage the heat, coolers were arranged on the sets. Often, shooting was halted in order to dry the costumes which were completely drenched in sweat. Filming of second season started on 5 May 2024. Most of the filming was completed within May 2024. The mid-May schedules were joined by Koneenica Banerjee.

Episodes

Overview

SeriesEpisodesOriginally released
1611 August 2023 (2023-08-11)
2810 January 2025 (2025-01-10)

Season 1 (2023)

No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal release date
1"First blood"Ayan ChakrabortiAyan ChakrabortiAugust 11, 2023 (2023-08-11)
2"Missing girl"Ayan ChakrabortiAyan ChakrabortiAugust 11, 2023 (2023-08-11)
3"Single mother"Ayan ChakrabortiAyan ChakrabortiAugust 11, 2023 (2023-08-11)
4"Toxic relationship"Ayan ChakrabortiAyan ChakrabortiAugust 11, 2023 (2023-08-11)
5"The sweeper"Ayan ChakrabortiAyan ChakrabortiAugust 11, 2023 (2023-08-11)
6"Hit and run"Ayan ChakrabortiAyan ChakrabortiAugust 11, 2023 (2023-08-11)

Season 2 (2025)

No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal release date
1"The Mentors"Ayan ChakrabortiAyan ChakrabortiJanuary 10, 2025 (2025-01-10)
2"The Conspirators"Ayan ChakrabortiAyan ChakrabortiJanuary 10, 2025 (2025-01-10)
3"The Mysterious Red Car"Ayan ChakrabortiAyan ChakrabortiJanuary 10, 2025 (2025-01-10)
4"Death of An Eyewitness"Ayan ChakrabortiAyan ChakrabortiJanuary 10, 2025 (2025-01-10)
5"Memory Loss"Ayan ChakrabortiAyan ChakrabortiJanuary 10, 2025 (2025-01-10)
6"New Suspect List"Ayan ChakrabortiAyan ChakrabortiJanuary 10, 2025 (2025-01-10)
7"Truth Revealed"Ayan ChakrabortiAyan ChakrabortiJanuary 10, 2025 (2025-01-10)
8"Search Ends"Ayan ChakrabortiAyan ChakrabortiJanuary 10, 2025 (2025-01-10)

Marketing and release

The trailer of Nikhoj Season 1 was released on 26 July 2023. The trailer of Nikhoj Season 2 was released on 1 January 2025.

Nikhoj Season 1 was streamed on 11 August 2023, on the Bengali OTT platform Hoichoi. The second season, titled as Nikhoj 2, was streamed on 10 January 2025 on Hoichoi.

Reception

Critical reception

Agnivo Niyogi of The Telegraph reviewed the series and wrote "Ayan Chakraborti’s writing builds up the tension with each episode and keeps you guessing, offering a multitude of suspects and motives." He applauded Swastika and Tota's performances in their respective roles, Saoli and Loknath's strong supporting roles, the development of the characters and the depth in the narrative but criticized the slow pace and some weakly written subplots.

Snigdha De of Aajkal reviewed the series and opined "With so many different stories and a multitude of flavors, it is not easy to keep the audience sitting until the very last moment, and to completely throw them off with the surprise of the climax. 'Nikhoj 2' has done that job effortlessly with a tense, lean plot, and strong acting. Director Ayan and his impeccable team have therefore passed with distinction." She praised the actinf of the ensemble cast, particularly Swastika and Tota's roles and the small roes played by Loknath and Rajatava.

References

  1. ↑ "Nikhoj Season 2 trailer: Tota Roy Choudhury and Swastika Mukherjee face off in mystery thriller". The Telegraph. 2 January 2025. Retrieved 31 March 2026.
  2. ↑ Bhattacharyya, Torsha (30 July 2023). "'নিখোঁজ' স্বস্তিকা-কন্যা, ঘটনার সঙ্গে টোটার যোগসূত্র বের করতে পারবেন পরাণ?". ABP Ananda (in Bengali). Retrieved 31 March 2026.
  3. ↑ Ganguly, Ruman (2 January 2025). "Trailer of Nikhoj 2 is out". Times of India. Retrieved 31 March 2026.
  4. ↑ "তিন বছর পর ওয়েব সিরিজ় অয়নের, এই দীর্ঘ বিরতির নেপথ্যে কারণ কী? খোলসা করলেন পরিচালক". Anandabazar Patrika (in Bengali). 2 August 2023. Retrieved 31 March 2026.
  5. ↑ "'Nikhoj': নতুন ওয়েব সিরিজে স্বস্তিকা মুখোপাধ্যায় ও টোটা রায় চৌধুরী, কবে মুক্তি পাবে 'নিখোঁজ'?". ABP Ananda (in Bengali). 27 June 2023. Retrieved 31 March 2026.
  6. ↑ "Swastika Mukherjee-Tota Roy Choudhury starrer 'Nikhoj' to premiere next month". Times of India. 11 July 2023. Retrieved 31 March 2026.
  7. ↑ Poddar, Atreyee (2 January 2025). "Swastika Mukherjee and Tota Roy Choudhury return for 'Nikhoj 2'". Indulge Express. Retrieved 31 March 2026.
  8. ↑ Karia, Vedant (7 July 2023). "Swastika to play a tough-cop faced with a critical case in 'Nikhoj'". The Telegraph. Retrieved 31 March 2026.
  9. ↑ Biswas, Sneha (28 July 2023). "Swastika Mukherjee recalls checking Aishwarya Rai's jeans on Chokher Bali sets: It was my goal to have a waist like that". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 31 March 2026.
  10. ↑ Chatterjee, Arindam (15 April 2024). "Hoichoi rolls out 14 new shows spanning diverse genres from India and Bangladesh". t2Online. Retrieved 31 March 2026.
  11. ↑ "Nikhoj-director Ayan Chakraborti: I prefer taking some time between each project". OTTplay. 3 August 2023. Retrieved 31 March 2026.
  12. ↑ Sen, Subhadrika (3 August 2023). "Swastika Mukherjee on playing a cop in Nikhoj". Indulge Express. Retrieved 31 March 2026.
  13. ↑ "Swastika Mukherjee and Tota Roy Choudhury star in Hoichoi's new series titled Nikhoj". t2Online. 7 July 2023. Retrieved 31 March 2026.
  14. ↑ "Swastika Mukherjee on upcoming web series 'Nikhoj': Brinda Basu is an empowered woman serving as the DCP, but above all, she is a mother". Times of India. 28 June 2023. Retrieved 31 March 2026.
  15. ↑ "Women have to work 200% harder due to gender bias: Swastika Mukherjee". Economic Times. 14 August 2023. Retrieved 31 March 2026.
  16. ↑ Biswas, Sneha (3 August 2023). "Swastika Mukherjee: Rabindranath Tagore should be left out from propaganda films". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 31 March 2026.
  17. ↑ Chakraborty, Shamayita (2 August 2023). "Nikhoj-actress Swastika Mukherjee: I am very happy to see all these women-driven shows in the Bengali OTT space". OTTplay. Retrieved 31 March 2026.
  18. ↑ "Nikhoj 2 shoot starts with Koneenica Banerjee and Swastika Mukherjee". Times of India. 5 May 2024. Retrieved 31 March 2026.
  19. ↑ "Nikhoj 2 starring Swastika Mukherjee, Tota Roy Chowdhury shoot in progress". Times of India. 14 May 2024. Retrieved 31 March 2026.
  20. ↑ "'Nikhoj' trailer: Swastika Mukherjee and Tota Roy Choudhury's thriller promises an intricate interplay of emotions and suspense". Times of India. 27 July 2023. Retrieved 31 March 2026.
  21. ↑ Mitra, Pooja (3 January 2025). "Swastika-Tota keep the intrigue high in 'Nikhoj-2' trailer". The Telegraph. Retrieved 31 March 2026.
  22. ↑ Mitra, Pooja (14 October 2023). "Celebrate 'devi paksha' with two power-packed performances by Swastika". The Telegraph. Retrieved 31 March 2026.
  23. ↑ Niyogi, Agnivo (1 January 2025). "Black Warrant to Nikhoj S2: New films, web series and documentaries releasing on OTT this week". The Telegraph. Retrieved 31 March 2026.
  24. ↑ Niyogi, Agnivo (24 August 2023). "Hoichoi suspense series Nikhoj packs a punch with Tota Roy Choudhury and Swastika Mukherjee". The Telegraph. Retrieved 31 March 2026.
  25. ↑ De, Snigdha (16 January 2025). "স্বস্তিকাই শেষ কথা! কতটা প্রত্যাশা মেটাল 'নিখোঁজ ২'?". Aajkal (in Bengali). Retrieved 31 March 2026.