A crisp, bright, wintry afternoon was made 10 times more exciting than usual thanks to the poster launch of Pratim D. Gupta’s upcoming film Chaalchitro: The Frame Fatale, held at City Centre, Salt Lake on November 13. Present were the cast and crew of the film, including Gupta, Tota Roy Choudhury, Raima Sen, Shantanu Maheshwari, Anirban Chakrabarti, Indrajeet Bose, Firdausul Hasan, and Debojyoti Mishra, who shared their thoughts on the film as well as their hopes and expectations from it.

The latest addition to the cop universe of Bengali cinema, the film — from its teaser itself — has already gathered significant buzz thanks to its ensemble cast and intriguing storyline. As gathered from the teaser, the story follows a team of four detectives from the crime branch of the city’s police force as they investigate a series of brutal murders that send shockwaves through Calcutta just as Durga Puja approaches. Young women are found dead, each victim killed in a disturbingly violent manner, and the police scramble to identify the killer and uncover the motive behind these horrific crimes. As clues start pointing to a case from years ago, the detectives find their own lives unravelling under the weight of the investigation, each having to battle personal struggles while racing against time to unearth the murderer.

Shantanu Maheshwari, Raima Sen, Tota Roy Chowdhury

The film’s poster, currently the largest film poster in the entire state, reflects the macabre theme that defines the film. In colours of scarlet, white, and black with the central characters taking up the forefront, the poster serves as a forewarning of the storyline and tension that promises to run through the narrative.

Gupta, back behind the camera for a Bengali film for the first time in five years, spoke to t2 about what he thinks will make his latest endeavour the contemporary Bengali cinephile wouldn’t want to miss. “This film has a kind of sophistication that is usually lacking in the kind of Bengali thrillers that we see. The tricky thing about making thrillers nowadays is that there are so many being made that it’s easy to make the same thing. The hardest part is to make a thriller but have the audience feel like they’re watching something new. Mine is an investigative thriller, yes, but it’s also a drama; there’s romance, and a huge chunk of the second part takes place inside an interrogation room. I haven’t said this to anybody else yet, but the fact that it’s an interrogation drama is something I think is an absolutely new experience in a film. Hopefully, people will enjoy the new style,” he told us at the poster launch.

Raima Sen, as gorgeous and effervescent as ever, spilt the beans on the interpersonal relationships behind the interrogation room dynamics that viewers can look forward to in the film. “I not only play Tota’s wife in the film, but I am also a very integral part of the case that the guys are trying to solve. That’s the most important thing I’m allowed to tell you right now! For the rest of the story, audiences will have to watch the movie to find out. I’m especially excited today because nobody’s done a poster launch of this scale in Calcutta before. It’s an entirely new idea and I hope viewers will enjoy the movie as much as we enjoyed making it.”

Contemplating on the everlasting popularity of the crime thriller, Tota shared some of his favourite works from the genre. “I really can’t tell you one single name or work that I’ve enjoyed, because so many come to mind! But the one name I will take must be that of John Grisham’s. I’ve always really enjoyed his work,” he said.

Chaalchitro: The Frame Fatale will release on December 20. If you’re in the mood for a thrilling, edge-of-your-seat movie experience this Christmas, you now know of just the film to watch!