In his decade-long career, Anirban Bhattacharya has often been seen making bold, off-beat and unexpected choices. His role as Batabyal, an eccentric mathematics teacher in the upcoming film Pokkhirajer Dim, promises to be one that is not only unusual but is one that offers infinite scope for humour and entertainment.

The trailer of the film suggests a plot filled with action, intrigue and lots of fun, blended into an exciting but thought-provoking story. In the film, when Batabyal refuses to coach Ghoton, a schoolboy poor in mathematics, and help him score better marks, the boy tries to bribe him with an exotic and rare gift — the egg of a unicorn (pokkhirajer dim) that had been left by an alien spaceship that had landed in the village long ago. This starts off endless sessions of scientific experiments with the egg that looks like a shiny, glassy stone, that appears to hold within itself the key to many unsolved mysteries. The plot thickens and foreshadows a bitter conflict when a foreigner also tries to get his hands on the extraordinary egg, and will stop at nothing to obtain it.

A science fiction fantasy film, Pokkhirajer Dim appears to be targeted at children and young adults. Yet, the action of the film contains enough elements that are bound to appeal to audiences of all ages. Themes of history, legacy, emotion, ethics and morality are beautifully woven into the plot of this thriller set in rural Bengal. Ghoton and Batabyal’s determination to protect the pokkhirajer dim from foreigners throws up interesting ideas about native talent, knowledge and its ownership, adding depth and complexity to an apparently childish and fantastical tale. Reminiscent of Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay’s stories for young people, this film treads into the children’s sci-fi genre after Patalghar, also written by Mukhopadhyay. Directed by Soukarya Ghoshal, Pokkhirajer Dim hits theatres on June 13.