Written by Mainak Bhaumik and directed by Shabbir Mallick, Bhoot Chaturdashi explores the elements of superstition, myth, age-old folklore while aiming to create an atmosphere of eeriness that will continue to haunt people even after they leave the theatres. In India, the supernatural and superstition go hand in hand and the film is all set to explore those. As the creative director, Mainak rightly feels that Bengal is a treasure trove of such stories, so there’s no reason for them to be short of horror films. We spoke to the cast about their experiences of working in a horror film. Here’s what they said…

Deepsheta Mitra: It was a challenge but an exciting learning experience. I am really happy that my first movie is a horror flick because it really helped me explore my range as an actress.

Aryann Bhowmik: It’s my first horror movie and I’m really excited. The team was young and fun. We wanted to make a film that’s unlike any other. The best part of the film is that we have explored Bengali folklore to bring to life a fresh story.

Soumendra Bhattacharya: It’s a gen-next film about a road trip that goes wrong. We are hoping to contribute something new to Bengali cinema’s ever-evolving heritage. Bolpur is an interesting part of the film.

Shabbir Mallick: The film ties together the elements of horror scattered in Bengali folklore, superstition and mythology. The fact that the story unravels over one night in a place as familiar as Bolpur really adds to the shock and awe factor of the film. For me, directing horror films has been a challenging yet an intensely rewarding experience. Horror requires you to be honest as you cannot cheat the audience.