Exactly a week after the launch of its teaser, Eskay Movies, the makers of the upcoming film Grihostho, unveiled its trailer. Comprising a collection of scenes from the film, which is being billed as a psychological thriller, it offers a broad outline of its setting and subject matter, besides introducing key characters and offering hints as to the role that they will play in the unfolding of its plot.
A little more than two minutes long, the structure of the trailer mainly attempts to generate an atmosphere of fear, terror and dread. Fast cuts, blurry and darkened frames, uneven lighting and a shrill and often jarring soundscape add a layer of mystery to the experience, perhaps deliberately confusing the viewer and making it that much more difficult to make sense of its action or the sequence in which they are actually played out in the film.
Ritabhari Chakraborty’s character seems to be hallucinating. Sometimes, she imagines that she is being stalked. She also fears being attacked and is suspicious and wary of everything and everybody, especially her new neighbours, portrayed by Anusha Vishwanathan, Shaheb Bhattacharjee and Aryann Bhowmick. The trailer gives us clues that she may be suffering from postpartum depression as she is a new mother. It is certain that she is undergoing an emotional crisis, a fact which is emphasised through the obvious tension between her and her husband (Sourav Das). The trailer also indicates that she may possess a violent streak in her. Koneenica Banerjee, who appears as a mysterious character in the trailer, stands out for her performance. Her eccentric and obsessive nature adds more of an eerie, unnatural touch to the proceedings.
The trailer also adds fuel to the thought that domestic pressures have taken their toll on the woman. It underlines the subtext in Grihoshto’s title that it is far from easy being a homemaker, particularly in a distant land, where one feels trapped and alienated and is unable to get any kind of physical or emotional support from near and dear ones. Familiar landmarks, which indicate that the story of the film is set in or around London, also effectively invoke a sense of doom through a view of its damp, depressing and deserted streets. Written, designed and directed by Mainak Bhaumik, Grihostho releases in theatres on March 7.