Among the slew of new web series announced by OTT platform Hoichoi during the ongoing festive season is Nikosh Chhaya, a supernatural thriller that delves into the realm of the occult. Nikosh Chhaya is the second instalment of the Bhaduri Moshai series and follows the success of its earlier counterpart Parnashavarir Shaap. Directed by Parambrata Chattopadhyay, its ensemble cast also features the same actors of the latter, with Chiranjeet Chakraborty once again portraying the role of Bhaduri Moshai. A t2 chat with director Parambrata Chattopadhyay on his take on the horror genre, the gamut of his experiences while making the series, and more.

How would you evaluate the response from Nikosh Chhaya’s teaser and trailer and what is your own expectation from the series.

We had announced the second season right after the success of Parnashavarir Shaap, so to some extent we were already confident. Fortunately, we have received overwhelming response from Nikosh Chhaya’s pre-release promotions also, and are very hopeful. But the challenge with Nikosh Chhaya (streaming on Hoichoi) is that whereas the location of Parnashavarir Shaap (in the hills) had helped build the atmosphere, this is set in commonplace suburban Calcutta. To carve out fear from such ordinary surroundings was difficult. This series is also adapted from a full-length novel, so that was an added challenge. But all said and done, both I and the Hoichoi internal team think that we have made a better season than the earlier one.

Are you fond of horror stories or stories with a paranormal theme?

Since childhood, I have always been fascinated with the supernatural. But I started toying with the idea of making films or series on a horror theme since the last three years only. This was a result of having listened to some amazing horror podcasts. I decided to adapt some horror stories for the screen. Since the opportunity with Hoichoi, I have started working on quite a few horror subjects. Besides these two seasons, I am making another horror series for Hoichoi. I have also made a horror film which is going to release next year. I am also working on a big scale horror script for a production in Hindi.

What were the main reasons for you to choose this story for this season?

There are only three stories in the Bhaduri Moshai series, of which Parnashavarir Shaap had already been done. Aranyer Prachin Prabad takes place when Bhaduri Moshai is young. So that was out of the question as it meant getting a younger actor to play him in place of Chiranjeet Chakraborty. I didn’t want to do that as the character had just been established and was well-accepted by the audience. That left Nikosh Chhaya as my only choice.

What kind of modifications were necessary or what were the challenges you faced while adapting the novel for the screen?

The primary challenge lies with the audience. Bengali audiences react very strongly whenever they observe any deviation from the original. In case of Parnashavarir Shaap as well, some people who already knew the story from the book or podcast, were unhappy with how we ended it. But those who had no knowledge of it from before praised it highly and it soon became a success.

In Nikosh Chhaya, we have made some modifications, keeping the main story intact as far as possible. We have considered Parnashavarir Shaap as the origin story with incidents in Nikosh Chhaya following it, although it is the other way round if you consider how author Souvik Chakraborty has written it. This is because it is too early in the day to have done a prequel. But though we have subverted the linear chronology, we have taken care to maintain the essence of the tale. So you could say that was the biggest challenge in adapting a published story.

Other than that there were the usual challenges of making my vision fit with the limitations of budget and time. To make a series of this scale, you had to be very clever and imaginative, and had to always have alternate plans ready for every shot. In other words, you had to be very flexible.

What knowledge of occult science was necessary to make this series?

Before doing Parnashavarir Shaap I had read up on the history of occult science in this part of the country and found it very fascinating. More than its practice, I am interested in its academics — its concept and history. Though we take cinematic liberties, I have made sure to have a consultant on board to ensure authenticity and realism. The ingredients shown in the tantra sadhana (occult session) were all genuine, for instance, shol maach (snakehead fish) which is an actual ingredient for such sessions.I think the occult is a very well-founded philosophy, with a strange mix of Shaktaism and Buddhist thoughts. Its roots go back thousands of years and I would not wish to tamper with it or show something random or foolish. I have done everything to remain loyal to the heritage of this ancient practice.

Do you think that the supernatural thriller genre is catching on as a trend?

On the contrary, I think a lot remains to be explored in the realm of horror stories, especially in India. The Stree franchise became popular, but it is essentially a comedy.

Though their concept of good and evil is different from ours, there have been some phenomenal work done in the West in terms of supernatural horror. I am a huge fan of filmmaker Mike Flanagan, who has done some seminal work in this genre. His breakout film was Gerald’s Game but I came to know of him after watching the series The Haunting of Hill House. It is an absolute favourite and I have seen it three times already. It is perhaps the finest example of intelligent yet very scary horror, which is very different from gory, body horror.

But rarely do we see serious horror in India. It is one area that holds a lot of promise for the new generation of filmmakers. I think we need to explore horror outside its established ideas. Though season 2 includes a demon and occult practices, it also tries to understand the emotions that lie at the root of the horror. Horror can be tremendously emotional, because the spirits that haunt us do so because they have unresolved grief, anger, guilt, or other similar emotions.

Tell us how the making of this series helped you grow as a director.

This season in particular has helped me explore a kind of filmmaking that, purely in terms of craft, is the most mainstream, ever. This was the most large-scale, big production I have ever been involved in. The mounting was very mainstream, and this was done consciously. And it was a thorough delight being able to do that.

How was it like directing Chiranjeet?

Chiranjeet Da brings on board years of experience, not only as an actor but also as a director. He brings an aura and presence which is unescapable. When he is on screen, you just look at him. I never meddle with that, or make him do anything different. He has a certain way of acting and I let him do it, because that is his originality. His character is a man who is of his age, and of his experience, so it just fit him naturally.

Chiranjeet and you shared screenspace in Chotushkone…

To me it was a very important film; I really enjoyed playing Joyobroto. We were co-actors in that film, much younger than now, and very honestly, the less mercurial people on set. The other two were Gautam Kaku (Goutam Ghose) and Rina Mashi (Aparna Sen), who were more animated and larger than life. Chiranjeet Da and I were relatively calmer and more obedient. But that was so long ago that Chotushkone memories are not any more a part of our conversations.

What can audiences expect from you next, both before and behind the camera?

As an actor, I can tell you that I have six films lined up for release in 2025, of which two are also directed by me. One of them is Abar Hawa Bodol which is a sequel to Hawa Bodol (2013), and the other is Ekhane Ondhokar starring Ritwick Chakraborty and me, which is the horror film I referred to earlier. The films directed by others are Srijit Mukherji’s Shotyi Bole Shotyi Kichu Nei, Kaushik Ganguly’s Asukh Bisukh, Sayantan Ghoshal’s Sonar Kellaye Jawker Dhan and Pathikrit Basu’s Sriman vs Srimati, which I have just finished shooting for. I have directed another film which might release towards the end of this year called Ei Raat Tomar Amar, starring Anjan Dutt and Aparna Sen.

In Hindi, I have finished a film called Gulam, a Jio Studios film. I am also currently shooting for Raj Chakraborty’s first Hindi directorial, a series based on his superhit film Parineeta (2019) for Hotstar.