The makers of Lawho Gouranger Naam Rey unveiled the teaser of the much-anticipated film by Srijit Mukherji recently. Based on the life and teachings of the 16th-century spiritual leader and founder of the Bhakti cult, the film promises to be a period drama that traces the journey of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and attempts to uncover the mystery behind his disappearance.
Designed as a 500-year saga, including the era of Sri Chaitanya (early 16th century), Nati Binodini (19th century) and the contemporary era, Lawho Gouranger Naam Rey will span multiple timelines where history is evoked as echoes from the past that are revisited through memories or stage performances, allowing the director to experiment freely within the story-within-a-story format and to connect the three time periods. A part of Mukherji’s ‘Disappearance Trilogy’ along with Gumnaami and Ek Je Chhilo Raja, Lawho Gouranger Naam Rey, as revealed by the teaser, has woven into its plot stories and theories related to the ascetic’s last days and his sudden disappearance that have captured the popular imagination for centuries.
As already evident from the film’s poster, newcomer Dibyajyoti Dutta plays Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and Subhashree Ganguly will play Nati Binodini. Dutta’s look has a surprising physical resemblance to Sri Chaitanya and appears to be the perfect choice for the role. Subhashree, mainly seen dressed up as Sri Chaitanya for a performance, impresses with her graceful movements and for reflecting her character’s faith and devotion to the saint. Indraneil Sengupta portrays a modern actor enacting Sri Chaitanya’s character in a movie on the saint while Bratya Basu is glimpsed in the teaser as stage legend Girish Ghosh.
Ishaa Saha is seen as a contemporary filmmaker making a movie that sheds light on Sri Chaitanya’s disappearance into the sea at Puri. Her character raises important questions about the preservation of his legacy or the lack of it, while attempting to assess his relevance among the masses. Jisshu Sengupta appears to portray the supporting role of Nityananda Mahaprabhu in the film being made by Saha's character.
Blending extensive research with poetic visuals, the teaser suggests that Lawho Gouranger Naam Rey will offer both historical accuracy and spiritual splendour. In the film, Mukherji’s cinematic vision appears to conjure up an astonishing fusion of ideas that creatively coalesce spirituality, devotion and emotion to present a layered narrative conveying Sri Chaitanya’s abiding influence on modern thought and consciousness. Different cinematic palettes are used to depict different eras in the story. Warm sepia tones for historical periods and sleek, crisp visuals for the contemporary era help retain the aura of bygone eras while maintaining authenticity, realism and immediacy of all time periods.
The background score created and composed by Indraadip Dasgupta is profound and soul-stirring, with its era-blending soundtrack including songs written by Girish Ghosh and vocals by Kabir Suman, Shreya Ghoshal and others, promising to elevate Lawho Gouranger Naam Rey’s atmosphere and cultural resonance to the next level. Written, directed and edited by Srijit Mukherji, Lawho Gouranger Naam Rey has a Christmas 2025 release date.
Piya Roy