Superhero web-series Kali set for release

Amit Ashraf, the director who broke into the scene with the critically-acclaimed 2015 film “Udhao”, is set to bring out “Kali”, an original superhero series in Bangla, to the screens on September 12. Model-actress Azra Mahmood plays the titular role in the web series, which will release on the web platform Bioscope Live.

Set in Dhaka, Kali is portrayed as a common woman with a vigilante alter-ego, roaming the streets fighting bad guys. The trailer, released on Bioscope's Facebook page on Thursday, leaves an element of mystery on Kali's back-story that the series will probably explore, but has enough to intrigue the audience. Kali is seen to cover her face with a scarf when she goes about her day-to-day activities, but a dialogue in the end prompts that her superhero self does not wear a mask, supposedly 'so that they can see my face', as Kali replies to a little girl's question why she doesn't wear a mask. 

The teaser is in the signature style of Amit's filmmaking (particularly from “Udhao”), with sweeping aerial cityscapes, first-person views, shaky-cam chase sequences through narrow alleys and low-lit fight scenes. The use of dramatic background score is another of Amit's strengths, and is another feature of the teaser. To have a female protagonist is a bold choice, but the director looks to have made good sense of it.

The concept of superhero series has quite a grip on the global entertainment scene at the moment, especially with Marvel and DC both having an imposing presence on the small screen -- be it in TV channels, or streaming-based services like Netflix. Both the content and the format are somewhat unchartered territory in Bangladesh, but the first look of the series promises a fair bit.