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regular-article-logo Friday, 03 May 2024

Director Abhirup Ghosh speaks about his new horror adventure Banglar Shera Bhooter Golpo

'There is a strong demand among audiences for more such stories, and thankfully, Bengali literature is a treasure trove of scary stories. We hope to return with something scarier soon,' says director

The Telegraph Published 22.02.24, 11:26 AM
Anirban; Kinjal

Anirban; Kinjal

Banglar Shera Bhooter Golpo, an anthology series comprising the best of Bengali horror stories, has connected with the audience. "The response has been amazing. The love audiences have showered upon this series (which is streaming on the Aaro Ananda app) has proven the fact that there is an excited audience for the horror genre in Bengal and that we can surely pull off interesting stories of this genre within the limited resources of our industry. There is a strong demand among audiences for more such stories, and thankfully, Bengali literature is a treasure trove of scary stories. We hope to return with something scarier soon," said director Abhirup Ghosh.

The first season features three stories — Swopno o Maya written by Gajendra Kumar Mitra, Medal written by Bibhutibhushan Bandopadhyay, and Mohesher Mohajatra by Rajshekhar Basu (Poroshuram). Medal focuses on a lonely school teacher, Bibhu, played by the versatile Anirban Chakrabarti, who comes across a vintage medal, which is apparently haunted. This story plays out like a chase film, with the protagonist being followed constantly by an ominous presence.

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Mohesher Mohajatra focuses on two friends, the strongly atheist Mohesh, played by Kinjal Nanda, and the playful Hori, played by Abhishek Singh. The two opt for a bet to settle once and for all, whether ghosts exist or not. What begins as a practical joke, ends up being a nightmare that leads to one man’s progression into madness. The third one, Swopno o Maya written by Gajendra Kumar Mitra, plays with a common and highly relatable fear — the fear of dead bodies. This story focuses on a family, comprising the housewife Anu, played by Tnusree C, her sister-in-law Sritama, played by Ananya Das, and Anu’s daughter, Minu. The trio are caught in a crisis when Anu’s father-in-law suddenly passes away. As Anu’s husband Hori is out of station and will need till the next morning to get back home, Anu and her family members are forced to guard the body through the fateful night. What begins as a melancholic night, ends up being a life-changing experience for the family. The three stories are connected by one mysterious character called The Collecter played by Jina Tarafder.

"The entire team worked very hard to design the scary sequences of the series. We did not want to rely only on jump scares and focused on creating an eerie and creepy environment too. Banglar Shera Bhooter Golpo has reached out to the audiences. The fact that the stories we have adapted are classical horror stories from Bengali literature has surely added to the viewing experience. One unanimous feedback that has really made us happy is that audiences and critics alike have felt fear while watching the series. One audience member even commented that she was scared of going to the washroom late at night after watching the series," said Abhirup.

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