Arifin Shuvoo earns widespread praise in Indian media for ‘Jazz City’

Arifin Shuvoo is drawing significant attention beyond national borders, emerging as a standout figure in international entertainment circles following the release of his debut Bollywood series “Jazz City” on March 19.

Since its premiere, leading Indian media outlets have repeatedly highlighted Shuvoo’s performance, describing him as a “standout lead” and one of the series’ most “powerful characters”. The wave of positive reviews suggests that the Dhaka-based actor is steadily establishing himself as a recognisable presence on the global stage.

The Indian edition of The Hollywood Reporter noted that one of the series’ strongest elements is Shuvoo’s portrayal of the central character, adding that his performance plays a key role in holding audience engagement.

Similarly, The Times of India described the series as being driven by “solid performances”, emphasising that strong acting elevates the overall production.

Digital platform Scroll called Shuvoo a “smart choice” for the role of Jimmy, praising the way he captures the character’s emotional layers with a refined and effortless screen presence. The review noted that even amid the series’ limitations, his performance remains one of its most compelling aspects.

Business and financial outlet Moneycontrol observed that despite certain shortcomings, the performances keep the series engaging. Entertainment portal M9 News highlighted Shuvoo’s stylish screen presence, while NewsBytes stated that his performance significantly enhances the show’s appeal.

Bollywood-focused platform LatestLY referred to Shuvoo as a “standout lead performer”, underscoring the distinct strength of his acting. Meanwhile, film analysis portal Bap of Movies praised his restrained yet impactful portrayal of the character.

Popular Hindi daily Amar Ujala noted that Shuvoo brings both confidence and depth to the role of Jimmy Roy, effectively conveying the character’s charm and internal conflict. Regional outlet TV9 Bangla added that audiences are likely to remember him in the role for a long time.

Industry observers believe that the consistent praise from Indian media not only reflects the series’ reception but also strengthens the position of Bangladeshi actors in the international arena.

Following its release on SonyLIV, “Jazz City” quickly rose to the top of trending charts and has maintained its position since. The 10-episode series, with a runtime of nearly eight hours, revolves around the character Jimmy Roy, played by Shuvoo.

In a notable feat, Shuvoo performs in four languages in the series — Bangla, Hindi, Urdu and English. Alongside Hindi and English, this marks the platform’s first series to feature Bangla.

“Jazz City” is directed, written and created by Soumik Sen, known for co-creating the series “Jubilee”. Shuvoo stars opposite Sauraseni Maitra, with additional performances from Shantanu Ghatak, Aniruddha Gupta, Sayandeep Sen, Sreya Bhattacharya, Shatf Figar, Alexandra Taylor and Amit Saha.