Myself Allen Swapan: When a spin-off outperforms its parent series

Myself Allen Swapan poster. Photo: Collected

When I first heard that a Syndicate spin-off series was in the making, with the character Allen Swapan as the protagonist, the first name that came to my mind was Bob Biswas. 

Yes, there are already hundreds of other spin-off TV shows and full-length feature films emanating from the Western world. Still, Bob Biswas from the Sujoy Ghosh-directed 2012 thriller Kaahani seemed to have the most resemblance with Allen Swapan.

Just like what Swapan was in the 2022 crime thriller Syndicate by Shihab Shaheen, Bob Biswas too was merely a small – but impressive character in Kaahani. 

However, a mind boggling performance from Saswata Chatterjee ensured that the role would carve a place in the hearts of the audience for so long that a standalone spin-off, revolving around the life of Bob Biswas only, would drop on our personal screens nearly a decade later. 

But there are a few major differences between the two. 

First, Allen Swapan didn't have to wait for even a full year to have his own story catered to the audience; as director Shaheen, for the great cinematic mind he is, has struck the rod while it is hot. 

Second, in the standalone series, Nasir Uddin Khan has retained his character, unlike the film Bob Biswas, where Chatterjee had to give up his role to Abhishek Bachchan, as the latter was "a bigger name" to draw audiences.

And these two reasons quite aptly summarise why a big-canvas film like Bob Biswas failed to win over the viewers, but Myself Allen Swapan, in spite of being made on a much smaller scale, has been enjoying enviable success ever since it started streaming on Chorki from the 'Chand Raat'. 

Shaheen could have lost the opportunity to engage the audience if he had waited a few years before getting his hands on Myself Allen Swapan because there are now so many 'watchable' options available that people tend to forget about the older ones rather quickly.

And  more importantly, had Shaheen cast someone else, perhaps a much bigger name to fill in the shoes of Nasir, he would have definitely failed to catch the pulse of the audience. 

Because, Swapan is a character popularised on the back of the quirky charms of Nasir. No other artist, regardless of how great and experienced he is, would succeed in replicating the same feat.

Myself Allen Swapan basically tells the origin story of Swapan, against the backdrop of the government's 2018 crackdown on drugs.

News spreads that the infamous drug dealer Allen Swapan has been killed during a "crossfire" in Cox's Bazar. But soon after, someone by the name of Shamsur Rahman, resembling the looks of Swapan, appears in Dhaka. 

As the story progresses, we get to see how Swapan slowly turns himself into a family man as well as an insurance agent, before foraying into the banking sector's money laundering syndicate, as shown in the parent series.

Only an artist worth his weight in gold would match the same level of passion, dedication and grit that Nasir showed in bringing the character Swapan to life. 

While Nasir nails it during the comedic scenes, especially with his highly entertaining 'Chatgaiya' accent (and vocabularies), he remains surprisingly impactful during the scenes having a more serious tone. And his acting genius peaks with the intensity he brings in just with his eyes in a particular sequence towards the end of the season.

It's as if Swapan was a character created only for him, and Nasir has done full justice to it, being well aware of the fact that this one character could lay the foundation for many more opportunities for himself in the coming days. This aspect has the potential to ignite his career with renewed hope and promises. 

The second best performer in the series is Abdullah Al Sentu, as Swapan's son Jaadu. His natural dialogue delivery, combined with his blank stares, is a treat to the eyes. With another strong showing after Bunker Boy, Shuklopokkho and Karagar, Sentu has sent the message that he is here to stay.

Rafiath Rashid Mithila plays the role of Shayla, the wife of Shamsur Rahman. Hers is a very important character with many layers, shades and a range of emotions that she has to suppress rather than showcase, and Mithila holds herself together in each of them. 

It's a shame that the talented artist has mostly remained unexplored as an actor, in spite of spending so many years in the entertainment industry. Now that she has become regular in acting, hopefully we will soon get to see her playing more versatile characters.  

The person making the best use of Mithila (also Nasir and others) in this series is none other than Shihab Shaheen. But first and foremost, he deserves credit for capitalising on the popularity of Swapan's character from Syndicate and developing a fully-fledged story on him. And in doing so, Shaheen was well supported by Robiul Alam Robi.

While the story is well written, the screenplay (by Shaheen alone) could have been tighter. Granted, the first three episodes felt slow and stretched for the sake of a new 'universe building', but trimming at least five minutes from each episode or investing more time on the characterisation of the supporting cast wouldn't have done the series any harm. Also, that would have justified the term 'slow burn' in its truest sense instead. 

But as a director, Shaheen has definitely presented his best thriller in recent years, after the lacklustre 'Morichika' and a moderate Syndicate. 

Recently he did exceedingly well in the Binge web-film Mayashalik too. Still, with Myself Allen Swapon, he has proved his mettle that as a filmmaker, he is neither the "king of romance" only, nor was the path-breaking work like August 14 in the country's OTT scene any fluke. 

And last but not the least, Kamrul Islam Shubho deserves a mention for his spectacular cinematography, shooting the series over different locations in Chattogram and Dhaka. 

Overall, Myself Allen Swapan is a great attempt as the country's first ever spin-off series that in terms of quality has even surpassed its parent series Syndicate.