They had wanted to celebrate Halloween in October, by sending the kids ‘trick or treating’ but obviously that had to be cancelled. Then they realised that Diwali would be devoid of crackers, another favourite of kids.

“So I came up with the idea of organising a ‘costume walk’ for juniors and it so happened that most of them chose the horror theme,” says Madhumita Bhattacharya of Sunny Fort Ladies’ Team in New Town. “Of course, it all fit in perfectly when we realised Diwali was also Children‘s Day this year.”

Adhikary as a ghost

Horror had many faces at Sunny Fort. More than 10 kids in the four to 14 age group took part and paraded along with thematic music. Sreyash Chatterjee sacred the audience as Dracula, Rishi Banerjee dressed as as Bhuter Raja from Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne and Suditi Bhowmik did a little jig as Paromi Rakkhoshi of Thakumar Jhuli that she watches on Hotstar.

“The toughest part of my costume was the long nails, which I cut out of chart paper. But they wouldn’t stick to my fingers! When no amount of cellotape worked, my mother fixed them with BandAid,” laughed the fifth grader.

Rishi Banerjee appears as Bhuter Raja

Avipsa Chatterjee had dressed as Annabelle, the evil doll from the eponymous film. “I’m scared of ghost movies and haven’t seen Annabelle but my friends talk about it so much that I know all about it. I wore a white frock and tied my hair with red ribbons like the doll,” said the 10-year-old.

It seems the girl knew exactly what make-up was required too and asked her mother Chandrani for white eye shadow to apply on her face, along with lipstick on the cheeks. “The only thing missing was a blonde wig,” said Chandrani, who anchored the show along with Sudeshna Dutta (whose kids Asmi and Arav dressed as a rabbit and crocodile respectively).

Sreyash Chatterjee scares the audience as Dracula

“The show was a super success,” beamed Madhumita. “I hadn’t expected parents and kids to invest so much this time into this.” Her own six-year-old Adrita Bhattacharjee had dressed up as Stree, the ghost in the Shraddha Kapoor film. The child enjoyed the show but got so scared by the other participating “ghosts” that she couldn’t sleep all night after that!

“Ami ma aar dida ke shara raat khub jaliyechi,” says the child who even vomited out of fear. Mother Madhumita says Adrita isn’t supposed to watch horror films but saw Stree on the sly once. “She got so scared thereafter that that I had to take leave from office to pacify her the next day!”

Horror food

‘Witch finger’ cookies made by Mukulika Adhikary

As a sideshow Juna Dutta, a ladies team member, taught the kids to shape mashed potatoes like stubby strips and push in almonds at the end. “They were zombie fingers and the kids ate them after making and clicking them,” smiled Juna, who happens to be the co-ordinator of a preschool. “They also made zombie teeth with apple slices, jam and nuts and instead of Jack-o’-lantern pumpkin carvings, drew eyes and teeth on oranges with markers.”

Suchita Mukherjee got homemade Swiss rolls for the little ghosts to snack on and Mukulika Adhikary brought home-made butter cookies that resembled witch fingers and Jack-o’-lantern faces. Her own sons were dressed up too.

Her son Rittik as a vampire

Twelve-year-old Rittik walked as a vampire (with mom’s black dupatta fastened as cape) and seven-year-old Rishaan had draped a stitched white sheet over himself with a red ribbon to demarcate his head, much like Casper, the friendly ghost. “Since my face was hidden no one could recognise me. My friends were wondering who I was,” laughed the little one.