The third film by award-winning director Aditya Vikram Sengupta, Mayanagar (Once Upon A Time In Calcutta), has already created a buzz in overseas film festivals. Putting an end to audience speculation regarding its long and much-anticipated theatrical release, the makers of the film dropped its trailer on Friday, with the announcement that it will finally hit theatres this month.

It appears from Mayanagar’s trailer that Sengupta has finally broken away from his usual unconventional style of storytelling and film formats. The film, which was shot around five years ago, almost entirely in Calcutta, seems to have a clearly defined story and characters. Its subject matter is likely to deal with the rapid decadence of life, values and social mores among the people of Calcutta, whose cause may be attributed to the political and economic conditions of the city and its people. The various scenes depicted in the trailer highlight the changes that have taken place in the city and point to an existential crisis in the lives of its inhabitants that has taken place because of this.

In the film, the familiar has given way to the strange and the unknown, whether it be the lanes and bylanes of a neighbourhood or the sights and sounds that characterise it.

A conflict between the old and the new is hence one of the themes of Mayanagar. The trailer has also tried to capture the disjointed yet distinct dreams and struggles of its characters, who are each bound by a need and an urgency to fill a void in their lives, but in so doing antagonise others. Mayanagar also seems to offer clues about the personal experiences and emotions of the city’s inhabitants, making them converge in ways that suggest a definite catastrophic outcome.

Starring Sreelekha Mitra, Bratya Basu and Anirban Chakrabarti in pivotal roles, Mayanagar promises to be a relatable film, especially for audiences in Calcutta who will surely identify with the ever-evolving character of the city. Mayanagar releases in theatres on February 7.