Nikhoj () 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
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
Season 1 (2023)
Season 2 (2025)
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
External links
Nikhoj on Hoichoi Nikhoj on Amazon Prime Video