Kolkata turned into a filmy playground as the makers of Khakee: The Bengal Chapter launched the trailer on March 5. A showreel is aired on the big screen, serving as the answer to our questions. Kolkata is known as much for its art and culture as it is for its cinema and writing mavericks. But, the city is also deeply entrenched in politics. Call it a spectacle and fan service rolled into one, but this unveiling gave us a sense of what the show holds—the messiness of the city’s political underbelly.
 
The anticipation in the air at the Royal Turf Club overlooking the Kolkata Maidaan was palpable. In the last century, the same maidaan has been witness to political rallies of every notable leader and party. The stage crackled with energy, and then, like a carefully choreographed play, the cast was introduced. It started with Prosenjit Chatterjee. The room shifted as he walked in—slow, measured, like a man who didn’t need to announce his arrival. The crowd erupted into chants, his name rolling through the arena. The lines between his character and him were blurred. 

Before the frenzy could settle, Jeet arrived in a car, in his cop avatar, stepping out like a man with a mission, ready to rid Bengal of its criminal underbelly. The audience roared in approval. And just as the dust was settling, a bike tore through the stage. Ritwik Bhowmik and Aadil Khan, playing political enforcers, made their entry and swiftly followed Saswata Chatterjee, who plays Bagha (Tiger) ready to tell the younglings that political wins are determined by more brains than brawn. “Maatha ta khaata [Make your brain think],” he said ominously.