Ganoshotru Series Review: A masterful portrayal of five true crime incidents

Ganoshotru Series Review: Five real-life crime incidents have been beautifully portrayed in this Bengali series. The direction was handled with perfection, along with standout acting performances.

Ganoshotru Series Review

Ganoshotru

Ganoshotru Series Story: Ganoshotru is a 2025 web series, streaming on ZEE5 and OTTplay Premium. It is an anthology portraying five real-life, notorious crime stories from the underworld of West Bengal. This series sheds light on notorious "enemies of the people" through case-based, documented case files, witness accounts, and court outcomes. This narrative emphasises the compulsions and exploitative circumstances that lead individuals into a life of crime and focuses on method and investigation rather than sensationalism.

Ganoshotru Series Review

Ganoshotru is one bone-chilling anthology consisting of 5 crime stories that are based on real-life incidents. These crime stories prove one thing that all five criminals chose to commit crimes due to traumatised situations, or they were born with a criminal attitude.

First crime story: Sajal Barui, played by Ayush Das. His area of crime was located in Kolkata, Asansol, West Midnapore, and Mumbai from 1993 to 2011.

He was known for brutally murdering his father, stepmother, and stepbrother. He was not born with a criminal attitude, but situations led him to it. Sajal had experienced the separation of his parents followed by physical torture from his father, stepmother, and stepbrother. He decided to murder them after they beat him for the 1000th time. This crime story proves that negligence can lead one person to commit a heinous crime like Sajal. The performance of Ayush has been amazing as he played the 16-year-old Sajal. His expression was on point, enough to give you chills. The story is a tragic reflection of how neglect and abuse can destroy both a childhood and a conscience.

Second crime story: Kamaruzzaman Sarkar, aka Chainman, played by Debapriyo Mukherjee. Infamously known as Chainman, Kamaruzzaman committed his crime in Bardhaman from 2013 - 2019.

Chainman once came across a person who asked him to follow red color which would bring him good luck. Influenced by his words, Chainman started committing crimes such as murdering women wearing clothes that had red in colour. He used a chain and hit them with an iron rod. Not only this, he used to physically abuse them after murdering, proving his mental instability. Speaking about the direction, it was done neatly along with a bone-chilling performance from Debapriyo Mukherjee. This story explores the theme of blind obsession and psychological decay. It's a chilling reflection on how a mind once lost in obsession can justify even the most horrific acts.

Third crime story: Trailokya Tarini, India's first female serial killer, played by Paoli Dam. Her crime period lasted from 1860 - 1884, during the British colonial period in India.

Paoli Dam has been fantastic in the role of Trailokya Tarini. Her calm voice, expression in her eyes, and criminal attitude within her soul for the sake of the role, were truly one of the best in the series. Tarilokya also had a reason why she became a terrific criminal. She was sent to the red-light district and faced physical abuse. Eventually, she became powerful and started doing serial killings, conning, robbery, and women-trafficking. This story explores the theme of power, survival, and the corruption born from oppression. Living through oppression in a patriarchal and colonial society, she transforms her pain into strength, blurring the line between liberation and cruelty. The story highlights how systemic exploitation can turn the oppressed into the oppressors, showing that hidden behind her crimes lies a haunting reflection of a society that first destroyed her innocence.

Fourth crime story: Rashid Khan, aka Satta King, played by Subrata Dutta. His period of crime was 1970 - 1993.

Rashid Khan had to shift to Kolkata with his sister due to personal issues in their life. One day, Rashid's life changed when he saw her sister being physically abused by a man in the red-light area. Seeing her sister like this, Rashid promised himself that he would earn enough money so people would respect him, but he started earning from illegal sources. He was known for the Sutta game, and from this, he became a millionaire during that time. He had contacts with almost every ruling politician at that time and was able to escape punishment. However, one day, his business was ruined due to a bomb conspiracy. The Bowbazar bomb conspiracy shook the heart of Kolkata, and it took more than 50 people's lives, leaving many casualties. With this, Rashid lost all his contacts, his confidence, and his criminal attitude.

This story explores the theme of ambition, corruption, and the moral decay caused by greed. Rashid Khan's transformation from a brother desperate for respect to a powerful criminal warlord reflects how the pursuit of wealth and status can consume one's soul.

Fifth crime story: Shyamal Das, aka Hubba Shyamal, played by Rudranil Ghosh. During 1976 - 2011, he was infamous for extortion, drug trafficking, kidnapping, and murder. He was accused in over 30 cases of Homicide in areas from Maheshtala to Rishra.

Hubba Shyamal used to like the taste of warm blood that came out after he hit one person with a sharp sword. He was infamous for brutal killings, which certainly scared everyone during his era. The gangster was involved in numerous criminal cases and was known for his violent nature. He was known for his ruthlessness and ability to evade arrest for long periods of time, being able to be released on bail multiple times after arrest. Towards the end, he was killed by one of his people who used to work under him.

This story explores the theme of power, violence, and inevitable downfall. Hubba Shyamal's life reflects how the lust for dominance and bloodlust can completely consume a person, turning fear into his only honour. Rudranil's powerful performance as Hubba Shyamal was one of the best in the series.

Also Read: Ganoshatru OTT Release Date: When and where to watch Paoli Dam's Bengali crime thriller series

Ganoshotru Verdict

Ganoshotru stands out as a fascinating and thought-provoking anthology that delves into the darkest depths of Bengal's criminal history, depicting how trauma, obsession, greed, and power influence the formation of a criminal. With outstanding acting, fine direction, and an emphasis on reality over sensationalism, this series leads viewers to question whether these individuals were truly born criminals or whether they were created by the cruelty and neglect of the world around them.

Ganoshotru is now streaming on ZEE5 and OTTplay Premium!

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