Indian filmmaker Bhargav Saikia is stepping into feature filmmaking with Bokshi, a new horror-fantasy movie that promises to explore the darker and more surreal side of Indian folklore.
The Assam-born filmmaker actually announced the project in June 2020, sharing a mysterious concept poster featuring a young woman surrounded by flames with a blood-red moon glowing in the background, and the striking artwork immediately teased the film’s supernatural atmosphere, with the unusual title design hinting at the mythical elements at the centre of the story – written by debut screenwriter Harsh Vaibhav, Bokshi is set to be a Hindi and English-language feature that will be filmed across multiple locations in Northeast India.
A New Horror-Fantasy Story From Bhargav Saikia
Although details about the plot are being kept secret, Saikia has described Bokshi as a contemporary horror-fantasy story that will allow him to fully explore the genres he has always been interested in.
“As a filmmaker, my predominant interest lies in horror and fantasy fiction,” Saikia said while announcing the project, and he also added that the film would give him the opportunity to explore both genres while bringing a surreal horror experience to audiences in India and beyond.
The filmmaker’s passion for supernatural storytelling is already clear from his previous work, with several of his earlier projects exploring fantasy, mystery and horror themes.
From Award-Winning Shorts to Feature Films
Before Bokshi, Saikia had already built a reputation through his short films.
His fantasy short The Black Cat, based on a story by legendary author Ruskin Bond, starred Tom Alter and Shernaz Patel, where the film received recognition at the 2018 Critics’ Choice Short Film Awards presented by the Film Critics Guild of India, winning awards for Best Cinematography and Best Music while also receiving nominations for Best Director and Best Film.
Saikia also directed the horror short Awakenings, featuring Palomi Ghosh, which gained attention on the international genre festival circuit, and the film also screened at major fantasy and horror festivals including Sitges in Spain and Neuchâtel in Switzerland before being acquired and released digitally by American horror label Alter.
A Horror Film Inspired by the Northeast
One of the most interesting aspects of Bokshi is its connection to Northeast India, with the film planned to shoot across various locations in the region.
The area has a rich history of folklore, legends and supernatural traditions, making it a natural setting for a horror-fantasy story, and while the filmmakers have not revealed the exact details of the film’s mythology, the concept artwork suggests that the movie will draw from darker and more mysterious elements.
Produced Through Lorien Motion Pictures
Bokshi will be produced by Saikia’s independent production company Lorien Motion Pictures.
The company previously produced the critically discussed feature Kaafiron Ki Namaaz, which premiered at the Jeonju International Film Festival in South Korea in 2014, while Lorien Motion Pictures has also been involved with other genre projects, including horror feature The Ordeal, which was selected for the Network of Asian Fantastic Films (NAFF) co-production market at the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival in South Korea.
What to Expect From ‘Bokshi’
While the story details remain hidden, Bokshi is shaping up as an ambitious horror-fantasy project that combines supernatural elements with a distinctly Indian setting, and with Saikia’s background in fantasy and horror storytelling, along with his experience creating atmospheric short films, the movie could offer something different from typical Indian horror releases.
The filmmaker’s feature debut looks set to continue his interest in strange, unsettling worlds where mythology and modern storytelling collide, and fans of Indian horror and fantasy will be keeping an eye on Bokshi as more details emerge.
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