Haranath Chakraborty, who is known for delivering superhit potboilers, has tried his hand at a murder mystery for the first time. Tarokar Mrityu, starring Ranjit Mallick, Parno Mittrah and Ritwick Chakraborty, is releasing at the theatres tomorrow.

“I have always wanted to make a murder mystery. This is the first time I have experimented with this genre. The content of Tarokar Mrityu was conceived by my son Hindol Chakraborty. Later Padmanabha Dasgupta took the story and script forward. Cinematographer Supriyo Dutta’s role was huge in the film. Supriyo and I have experimented with the lighting and designing,” said Haranath, who has tasted success on OTT with the web series Ghosh Babur Retirement Plan.

Tarokar Mrityu revolves around a couple – the husband, played by Ritwick Chakraborty, is a scriptwriter; the wife, played by Parno Mittrah, is a schoolteacher. They travel to Kalimpong and check into a bungalow that is rumoured to be haunted. During their stay, they experience some paranormal activities in the house, leading to a murder. Ranjit Mallick plays the investigating officer who starts digging into the suspicious activities in the house.

“In a thriller, the role of the performers is huge. Ranjit Mallick was the first person I reached out to. He was always on my mind. He loved the script. The reason I cast Parno and Ritwick is because I felt that they made for a fresh pairing. Parno’s face has a very innocent girl next-door look,” said Haranath.

For Mallick, who celebrates his 80th birthday today, playing an investigator has been an interesting decision. “I have done almost 100 films. I completed 50 years as an actor in 2020 and wanted to do something different. My daughter Koel (Mallick) suggested I do a thriller,” Mallick told us.

“My character is a homely man but there are a lot of shades. All in all, this film had quite a few new elements, which made me say yes to it. Besides, I have known Haranath for the last 30-35 years. He was the assistant director of my all-time hit film Shatru. The bond between a director and an actor is a very important thing. With Haranath, I have that bond,” he added.

Produced by Surinder Films, the Tarokar Mrityu cast includes Anindya Pulak Bandopadhyay, Priyanka Mandal and Soham Majumdar.