Bengali horror film Bhuto Purbo gets special screening ahead of release

Inspired by the epitomes of Rabindranath Tagore's Monihara, Bibhutibhushan Bandopadhyay's Taranath Tantrik and Manoj Sen's Shikar, the film is a reimagined compilation of these three iconic ghost stories of Bengal's rich literary heritage.

Actress Sandipta Sen said, "I'm very excited. It is a horror film, and I always wanted to do a film like this. As it is a combination of three popular Bengali literature stories, I'm really hopeful about it.”

Sandipta Sen at the premiere. Photo Arpita Das

Actor Suhotra Mukhopadhyay said, "This film has been made differently with a lot of visual effects, so I think people would appreciate this film and my work.”

"The character I'm playing has a different fanbase, so to be honest I'm a bit nervous about how the audience will take my performance," said actress Rupanjana Mitra.

"With Bhuto Purbo, we wanted to rekindle the art of storytelling that once made audiences believe in the unseen. These aren't just ghost stories; they are reflections of deep fears, unspoken desires, and lingering memories," said director duo Kakoli Ghosh & Avinab Mukherjee of Bhuto Purbo.

Tagore's Monihara stars Satyam Bhattacharya as Phanibhushan opposite Amrita Chattopadhyay as the ethereal Manimalika.

Taranath Tantrik includes Saptarshi Maulik in the titular role with Rupanjana Mitra as Matu Pagli.

Amrita Chattopadhyay at the premiere. Photo Arpita Das

Sen's Shikar brings to life a tale of haunting seduction with Sandipta Sen as Tilottama and Suhotra Mukhopadhyay as Purnendu.

Singers including Iman Chakraborty, Shahana Bajpaie and Timir Biswas have lent their voices to the scored songs of the movie.

The film made a theatrical release on June 27.

(Reporting by Aaheli Chakraborty, Images by Arpita Das)