Abhirup Ghosh’s film Brombhodoityo (streaming on Hoichoi) is a dark fantasy tale dipped in Bengali mythology. The film is getting very positive, enthusiastic feedback. “This mix of modern sensibilities and nostalgia related to Bengali culture has been received extremely well and we are pleasantly surprised by the love audiences have showered on Brombhodoityo,” smiles Abhirup. The Telegraph chats with the film-maker.

Why begin the film with Anindya Chatterjee’s episode? He doesn’t reappear in the film later.

We wanted to start the film with a cold opening — an apparently unrelated sequence. It is not directly mentioned, but it is implied that Anindya is the previous owner of the Brombhodoityo. We wanted to show his dark fate in a mysterious way before building up to reveal Saayoni’s story.

And why reveal the Brombhodoityo in the beginning only? In horror films, we often see makers revealing the monster/ghost much later.

We have not really revealed the Brombhodoityo entirely, just shown glimpses of him in order to tease the audiences. We have finally revealed the ghost at around half way through the film. In retrospect, I think I should have kept the Brombhodoityo under the shadows for longer in the film and minimised its direct attacks on Saayoni’s character.

How did you come up with Brombhodoityo’s look with the umbrella, coat, dhoti. What was the idea behind it?

We wanted a vintage, yet stylised look for the Brombhodoityo. A dhoti, kurta, khorom, etc. go with the mythological origins of the character. We added a black coat and an umbrella to create a stylised look that had a slightly modern connect. The idea was that the ghost has existed and interacted with mankind for 150 years. So it is likely that it is not really stuck in time and has evolved.

What book was the Instruction Manual? It was HUGE.

We wanted to show that there is a detailed user manual in Sanskrit. It was a fictitious book. We used an old copy of the Mahabharata and wrapped it up in red cloth to create the manual.

Journalist Sayantika (Saayoni) comes across a mysterious online shopping portal called Buyaghost.com, which sells supernatural artefacts. She ends up ordering a ghost. What is the craziest thing you have ordered online?!

The craziest thing I have ordered online is a six-pack of imported Vanilla Coke cans. I uses to love the drink as a child, but it went out of market months after its launch. I suddenly found an online link selling the drink and got nostalgic. I ended up spending a bomb on them.

We see a manual, trunk and a two-in-one stereo... these are things from a retro era... how did you come up with the idea and why pick those?

We wanted to have a retro vibe in the film. The whole idea of the film is to make people feel a bit nostalgic and miss things that used to mean a lot to them once upon a time. We wanted to use the concept of an interactive audio guide, which is common now due to different audio support devices and high-end smartphones. However, we also wanted to use old, now obsolete objects. Hence the two- in-one, vintage trunk, etc.

Having the audio book was very innovative. It was interactive. How did you come up with that one?

The concept of an interactive user manual came from products like Alexa and Echo. We also wanted the manual to be a spooky, mysterious, yet funny presence in the film.

As large portions of the film feature only one character, Sayantika, we needed an interesting option of explaining details of the Brombhodoityo to the audiences. We did not want to bore audiences with info dumping. This is where the haunted manual came in. Voiced by Arnab Bhattacharya, I feel it is the most interesting character of the film.

What was the idea behind the light scheme, ambience and music when Brombhodoityo appears in Saayoni’s room and confronts the police?

We wanted to create a fantastical ambience, yet keep the story rooted in reality. My DOP Ankkit Sengupta planned the production design and light scheme effectively ensuring that a perfect balance was created between familiarity and surrealism. We wanted audiences to feel that as the story mostly takes place in a small, normal middle-class flat, the incidents of the film, could easily happen to them. Based on the response to the film, we can understand that this relevance has created a wide connect.

Though she is scared of him, Sayantika almost consoles herself and addresses him in an endearing way in the climax. There is horror, comedy and some empathy as well. Why write the scene like that? What were you trying to convey?

In the climax, we wanted to show Saayoni’s character stand up to her ultimate bully, the Brombhodoityo, and face her inner demon. So, we have showed a gradual transformation. Initially, though scared, she has decided to face the ghost. She is trying to muster the courage to confront the Brombhodoityo. Hence, she is trying to use empathy and is almost requesting the ghost not to hurt her. In the end, she finally lets loose and goes all out furiously and fearlessly, in turn gaining control of the ghost. This is basically the concept of a beast becoming submissive to a stronger, scarier Alpha. This is common in the animal kingdom.

The ending is very funny and wraps up the film on a light note with the Customer Service reference and Free Gift and Day Care Centre for Ghosts angle! How did you get that idea?

While some audiences have felt that the film should have had a dark and serious ending, I had always planned an uplifting, funny ending. The idea behind this is that we can only move on from a dark phase of our life, when we finally start joking about things that have bothered us. In retrospect, a lot of sad, heart-breaking memories end up being funny ones and we laugh about how silly we used to be in the past. I wanted the film to end on a positive note. Also, for me, this is a children’s film primarily. So I wanted it to have an entertaining, fun ending with a nice message. As I intend to make a series of films based on Bengal’s supernatural legends, having an open ending and introducing the Shakhchunni seemed right.

How many options did you have for the ending?!

We did not have any other ending in mind. As the basic concept of the film is buying a ghost online, we wanted to return to the online shopping context in the end. People have been able to relate to the concept in a big way and they have loved the combination of Thakurmar Jhuli and online shopping.

Rudranil Ghosh plays a crucial role in all your films/web shows. What makes him so special?

I share a great rapport and comfort level with Rudranil Ghosh. He has been a part of my film-making journey since Day 1 and been a source of huge support. Also, he has terrific range and is a highly interesting and versatile actor who can pull off any character effectively, no matter how weird or out of the box it is. Despite his huge experience, he is excited to play interesting new characters. These are the factors which make me work with him repeatedly. We have done four completely different characters in five projects — a private investigator (K: Secret Eye), a criminal mastermind (Rohoshyo Romancho Series 1 and 2), a cannibal (Zombiesthaan) and a medium (Brombhodoityo). Looking forward to bringing more interesting characters to life with him.