The premiere of Saptadingar Guptodhon, the fourth instalment in Dhrubo Banerjee’s ever-expanding Guptodhon universe, brought together actors, directors, producers and familiar Tollywood regulars for what was easily one of the season’s busiest Bengali film gatherings. Leading the evening were Abir Chatterjee, Ishaa Saha and Arjun Chakrabarty, the trio who have now spent close to a decade navigating riddles, folklore and hidden treasure maps as Sonada, Jhinuk and Abir, respectively, alongside Dhrubo Banerjee, director of the Sonada series.

Among those spotted at PVR-INOX (South City) were Prosenjit Chatterjee — who also makes a cameo appearance in the film — alongside Chiranjeet Chakraborty, Sabyasachi Chakrabarty, Gaurav Chakrabarty, Srijit Mukherji, Tota Roy Choudhury, Susmita Chatterjee, Shruti Das and several other actors and filmmakers. The lobby buzzed with hurried selfies, loud reunions and the occasional discussion around whether Bengali audiences are still as obsessed with treasure hunts as they were during the Feluda era.

If anything, Saptadingar Guptodhon exists because that fascination clearly has not faded. The Sonada films have gradually become one of Bengali cinema’s safest family-entertainer templates — polished enough for multiplex audiences, accessible enough for children, and nostalgic enough for older viewers who enjoy watching riddles wrapped in folklore. This time, the franchise heads into the Sundarbans, using mangroves, myths, and the promise of a hidden treasure to push the trio into darker territory.

The plot begins with the discovery of a long-lost manuscript containing clues linked to an old treasure trail. Sonada, Abir and Jhinuk travel deep into the Sundarbans, where local legends and coded riddles complicate the journey. Visually, the Sundarbans setting gives the film some of its strongest moments. The dense greens, muddy waterways and isolated villages lend atmosphere.

Abir Chatterjee once again slips comfortably into Sonada’s scholar-action-hero mould. Ishaa Saha gives Jhinuk more emotional grounding this time around, while Arjun Chakrabarty supplies much of the film’s humour.

The evening’s audience reactions reflected exactly what the film appears designed for: uncomplicated entertainment. There were laughs during the banter-heavy comedy scenes, and audible excitement whenever the riddles edged towards folklore-heavy revelations.

Speaking at the premiere, Abir Chatterjee reflected on the longevity of the Sonada films and the audience’s continued attachment to the character. “When we started this journey years ago, I genuinely did not think Sonada would become such a recurring figure in Bengali popular culture. What surprises me is how families have grown up with these films. There are children who watched the first film with their parents and are now teenagers coming for the fourth instalment. That continuity is rare. At the same time, we are aware that audiences are smarter now and expectations are higher, so we cannot simply repeat ourselves mechanically. This film tries to retain the comfort of the franchise while placing the characters in a more layered and emotionally uncertain space.”

Director Dhrubo Banerjee admitted that maintaining freshness within a familiar format remains the franchise’s biggest challenge. “Treasure-hunt films work because audiences enjoy the ritual of them — the clues, the folklore, the reveals, the chase. But the danger is becoming too comfortable inside your own formula. With Saptadingar Guptodhon, we consciously wanted the environment itself to feel more threatening. The Sundarbans naturally gave us that texture. At the same time, this is not meant to be a dark psychological thriller. It still needs to function as a family entertainer. Balancing those tones is difficult because viewers today immediately notice when something feels repetitive or over-stylised.”

Ishaa Saha, who has played Jhinuk across multiple films now, said, “What I appreciate is that Jhinuk is no longer just reacting to the adventure around her. Earlier, she was often positioned as the emotional observer, but over time, she has become more involved in the decision-making and emotional rhythm of the story. Also, because audiences already know these characters so well, even small changes become noticeable. There’s comfort in returning to a familiar franchise, but there’s also pressure because people come in with expectations. I think viewers today want spectacle, but they also want sincerity, especially in Bengali cinema.”

Much like the premiere itself, the film thrives on familiarity — familiar stars, familiar banter, familiar riddles and a familiar Bengali fascination with hidden histories waiting to be uncovered.