Bhargav Saikia’s directorial debut feature Bokshi (witch in Nepali), a folk horror fantasy shot in the deep forests of Sikkim in Northeast India, will have its World Premiere at the prestigious International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) 2025.
The film is selected in the Harbour section which is named after Rotterdam’s port city identity and focuses on a wide range of contemporary cinema from across the world. The festival will be held from Jan 30-Feb 9th 2025.
The film starring Mansi Multani (A Suitable Boy, Pari) and Prasanna Bisht (Farrey) is in Hindi, English, Nepali and an invented language Boksirit, a fully developed fictional language spoken by a few characters in the film. This invented language, presented as the progenitor of all modern languages, has been exclusively created for Bokshi by renowned Dutch linguist, Jan van Steenbergen.
Written by debutant screenwriter Harsh Vaibhav, the film explores the journey of a troubled teen, Anahita, who goes on a high school expedition to a little-known prehistoric site and finds herself tested as a long-forgotten myth unfurls and things turn eerie, forcing her to confront her worst fears.

Bhargav earlier wrote and directed an award-winning fantasy short which was an adaptation of Ruskin Bond’s The Black Cat starring Tom Alter and Shernaz Patel.

Excited about making the World Premiere at the prestigious IFFR, Bhargav says, “IFFR, which is renowned as a discovery festival and for their edgy programming, is just the ideal place to launch my debut feature, Bokshi (meaning “witch” in Nepali). It is an ambitious independent production and an adventurous genre film that took nearly five years to complete. I am grateful to IFFR for giving us this dream premiere!”

Synopsis

Troubled teen, Anahita, finds comfort in Shalini, the mysterious History teacher leading a trek to a little-known prehistoric site, dubbed ‘The Navel’. This unconventional school trip into an ancient forest turns eerie as cryptic connections emerge between the Navel and a cult that worships Bokshi, a much-feared folkloric demoness from antiquity. Falling in line with Shalini’s insidious designs, Anahita finds herself tested as the Navel nears and the long-forgotten myth of Bokshi unfurls, forcing her to confront the horrors of her past.

Director’s Statement

I am particularly drawn to stories that explore life and the human condition through the prism of the fantastical and the macabre. Bokshi is one such story that follows the coming-of-age journey of a teenage girl haunted by the demons of her past. Told through the genres of folk horror and fantasy, it is a cautionary tale of feminine rebellion with elements of witchcraft, shamanism and eco-horror. I was born and raised in Northeast India where Bokshi is also set. The film takes place in this mystical region which abounds with rich traditions of folklore, myths and legends. One of the facets of Bokshi that I am especially excited about is the incorporation of “Boksirit”, a fully developed fictional language spoken by the witches in the film. This invented language, presented as the progenitor of all modern languages, has been exclusively created for Bokshi by renowned Dutch linguist, Jan van Steenbergen.

Director’s profile

Bhargav Saikia hails from the Northeastern state of Assam and he is based in Mumbai, India. Saikia’s horror short, Awakenings (2015), was screened at several noted genre film festivals, including Sitges and Neuchâtel. His fantasy short, The Black Cat (2017), received nominations for Best Fiction Film and Best Director at the 2018 Critics’ Choice Short Film Awards presented by Film Critics Guild India. Bokshi is his feature directorial debut.

About Lorien Motion Pictures

Bhargav Saikia is the founder of the Mumbai-based independent film production company, Lorien Motion Pictures. Lorien’s productions have screened at several prominent film festivals, including Jeonju International Film Festival, Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival and Neuchâtel International Fantastic Film Festival. Lorien’s feature project, The Ordeal, was an official selection of BiFan’s NAFF co-production market in 2018. The company’s current slate includes the horror- fantasy feature, Bokshi, starring Mansi Multani (A Suitable Boy, Kadakh, Pari) and Prasanna Bisht (Farrey), which is set to make its world premiere at the 2025 edition of the International Film Festival Rotterdam. In the upcoming years, Lorien aims to establish itself as a major Indian studio specializing in quality genre cinema.

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