Cyber-Thriller ‘Cactus’ Set for Eid Release
Blending technology, thrill, and action, a new web series titled Cactus, directed by Shihab Shaheen, is set to release during Eid. Starring Pritom Hasan and Mehazabien Chowdhury, the series will present them in entirely different and challenging roles, with its teaser already creating excitement among viewers.
The teaser of the series was released on Wednesday afternoon, March 4. It reveals that in Cactus, Pritom Hasan appears as a skilled hacker. The teaser also shows him as a prisoner who is extraordinarily talented in the cyber world. However, under special circumstances, he is compelled to return to hacking from inside prison. With the government’s support, his intelligence becomes the most powerful weapon in confronting a national crisis.
In the series, Pritom Hasan plays the character Mansiv. According to him, the character undergoes multiple transformations. “I would not like to reveal too much about the character. However, it certainly has a journey, and I hope the audience will join me on that journey. Although Mansiv is a hacker, his actions have a purpose, which I believe viewers will appreciate. Director Shihab Shaheen has crafted the series brilliantly,” he said.
Meanwhile, Mehazabien appears in a completely new avatar—featuring an action look and action sequences. Her appearance has already heightened excitement among viewers. With a strong, confident, and mysterious presence, she adds a new dimension to the story.
Mehazabien Chowdhury said, “My character in this series is very interesting. It gave me the opportunity to learn many new things, one of which is action. I have never performed action at this level before. Action director Mr. Edward and his team were outstanding. In a very short time, they taught me a lot. When I first heard the script, this aspect greatly inspired me—it was truly fascinating.”
Before going to the shoot, Mehazabien had said she was about to do something she had never done before. Did the shooting turn out that way? Responding to the question, she said, “I was able to do things on screen that I had never done before. I tried to give my best. The entire team provided tremendous support and worked very hard. Now the rest is in the hands of the audience—they will judge how well we have done.”
Overall, the teaser suggests that Cactus will offer a distinctive experience combining technology, thrill, and action. Before the shooting began, director Shihab Shaheen had said he wanted to create his own spy character through this series and even spoke about building a spy universe. How far that has been achieved will become clear after watching the series, he said.
Shihab Shaheen also said, “From the teaser, viewers may already realize that the shooting this time was not ordinary; it was quite challenging. Even more challenging than that is the story itself. What the teaser suggests is only a small glimpse—the scope of the story is far larger.” The director added that the story of Cactus revolves around Mansiv, while the character Anura introduces a new twist to the narrative.
The story of the Chorki original series Cactus was written by Shihab Shaheen, Al-Amin Hasan Nirjhar, Ador Rahman, Asaduzzaman Abir, and Rezwan Kabir. The screenplay was written by Shihab Shaheen. The cast includes Munira Yusuf Memy, Manas Bandyopadhyay, Najiba Bashar, Salauddin Lavlu, Shahadat Hossain, Arifin Jilani, Zahidul Haque Opu, and Sanzida Tasnim. Edward Gomez served as the action director of the series.
DBTech/FI/EK/OR
