Bhargav Saikia’s feature directorial debut, Bokshi (2025), takes place in a jungle in northeastern India (Sikkim). As a teenage girl carries the weight of a dark past and gets bullied by classmates, a rather unfortunate incident makes her shift to a boarding school, where a class trip to an ancient forest with newfound friends and a mysterious teacher opens up a series of terrifying discoveries. The spirit of folk horror creeps in with a calculated touch, sprinkled with grotesque imagery that jolts the heart with shock while instilling unease throughout the narrative. The plot intertwines witchcraft with anthropological and ecological themes in refreshingly offbeat ways to create dramatic tension. 

Bokshi premiered in the Harbour section at the 2025 International Film Festival of Rotterdam. In this interview, Saikia discusses how his interest in horror and fantasy tales developed, the influence of linguistics on his films and the feminist ideas driving his stories about a witch.

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Dipankar Sarkar: You initially pursued film direction at Whistling Woods International in Mumbai but chose to drop out, ultimately producing Kaafiron Ki Namaaz (2013). Now, with Bokshi, you’ve made your long-anticipated debut as a feature filmmaker. Looking back, how have detours shaped your creative journey?

Bhargav Saikia: Before Whistling Woods, I was studying biology at the University of Manchester. But I always had a deep desire to work in films, even as a child. Initially, I wasn’t sure what role I wanted to pursue, but as I learned more about filmmaking, I knew I wanted to direct. While studying in Manchester, I discovered Whistling Woods and eventually joined the film institute. During my time there, I collaborated with a batchmate to produce Kaafiron Ki Namaaz. However, I dropped out, believing that real-world experience would teach me more than a classroom setting. That film made me realize that I had come to Mumbai to direct, not to produce. Wanting to take creative control, I decided to make a short film. My first short, Awakenings (2015), was initially a pitch for a feature film, but after its selection at major genre festivals like Neuchâtel and Sitges, my perspective on horror cinema changed. It exposed me to global genre storytelling, shifting my approach from mainstream Bollywood horror to a more art house sensibility.  While developing my feature, I made another short film, The Black Cat (2017), based on a Ruskin Bond story. Its success further reinforced my confidence as a filmmaker. Later, a feature project I had worked on for years nearly got greenlit but ultimately fell through. At that point, I met Harsh Vaibhav, whose understanding of genre resonated with me. I shared an incident from my boarding school days, which became the foundation for Bokshi. So, looking back, each step — from Kaafiron Ki Namaaz to my short films — has naturally led to Bokshi. The time I spent honing my craft allowed me to better understand the horror genre and use it to tell deeper stories beyond conventional scares.

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DS: Your short films, along with Bokshi, all delve into horror and fantasy. What draws you to these realms?

BS: I grew up in a small town in Assam called Biswanath Charali and was an introvert as a child, preferring to lose myself in books and films. My maternal grandfather, an educationist from Digboi, nurtured my love for literature by gifting me books — always fantasy novels and short stories. This early fascination with the fantastical shaped my imagination. When I joined boarding school in class four, this interest deepened. My English teachers, some of whom were quite adventurous, introduced us to [the “Harry Potter” book series, 1997-2007), “The Chronicles of Narnia” [1950-56 book trilogy] and the works of Roald Dahl and Ruskin Bond. We even studied Harry Potter as an official textbook. I also discovered [J.R.R.] Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings” [1954-55 book trilogy] and The Hobbit (1937), which cemented my love for the genre. Boarding school also exposed me to cinema beyond Hindi films, including English and foreign-language films. These formative experiences — through literature, school and cinema — sparked my passion for storytelling in the horror and fantasy genres. So, my journey as a filmmaker is deeply rooted in my childhood, shaped by the books my grandfather gave me and the exposure I gained in boarding school.

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DS: Bokshi conjures a world of shamans and spirits while weaving ecological and anthropological threads, and evoking the primal forces of creation. Is there any research involved to inform this mythology lurking in the dense jungles of Sikkim?

BS: When I first met Harsh Vaibhav, the screenplay writer, I told him I wanted to make a film about a group of high school students who embark on an expedition and encounter an unusual adventure. However, due to a slip in memory, I mistakenly told him the expedition I had in class seven took place in Sikkim instead of Arunachal Pradesh. As a result, we ended up in Sikkim and spent two to three months there, naturally drawn to North Sikkim. Our initial research revealed that North Sikkim is home to the Lepcha tribe, a community protected by the government for its unique culture and traditions. We connected with Gyatso Lepcha, a river activist and owner of Mayallyang Home Stay in the Dzongu region. He generously hosted us and introduced us to local shamans — both experienced and newly initiated — as well as scholars, helping us understand their folklore and mythology. Through our research, we saw how deeply nature influences the lives of the people there. In Gangtok, we noticed the impact of pharmaceutical industries on the rivers and how dam construction adversely affects the environment — an issue Gyatso has been actively protesting against. His insights, along with interactions with locals, shaped many of the social themes in Bokshi. We also consulted books, particularly those by Anna Balikci-Denjongpa, a Research Coordinator at the Namgyal Institute of Tibetology, Sikkim. Her work, along with other sources, helped us explore the region’s myths and folklore. Bokshi is not a direct adaptation of these tales but a loose reimagining, blending social relevance with an original mythology inspired by the rich cultural landscape of Sikkim.

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DS: What compelled you to structure Bokshi’s narrative in chapters? Was it a way to shape its rhythm, deepen its themes or something more intuitive?

BS: The most apparent reason for having seven chapters is a stylistic choice. However, a more significant reason lies in the importance of the number seven, both in the cult of Bokshi and in Hinduism, where it symbolizes cycles, divinity and completeness. The film follows Anahita’s coming-of-age journey as she grapples with childhood trauma. By the end, she attains a sense of completeness and belonging. This thematic significance of the number seven naturally influenced the chapter structure, helping to divide her journey into seven distinct parts while also reinforcing the film’s stylistic approach.

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DS: Boksirit is one of the featured languages in Bokshi, and its aural presence on screen heightens the sense of unease. And it’s an invented language. Did you see it as a tool to expand the film’s mythos, or was it simply to create a more unsettling atmosphere?

BS: Before developing the script, we knew we needed to invent a language — the language of Bokshi. Since Bokshi is depicted as the first human on Earth, and that human is female, we wanted a language that felt rough and primal, as if it were the progenitor of all modern languages. We collaborated with Dutch linguist Jan van Steenbergen, giving him a clear brief: the language should feel rooted in the Indian subcontinent, as the film is set in Northeast India. Jan drew inspiration from Dravidian, Indo-European and Proto-Indo-European languages to create Boksirit. Beyond its mythological significance, I wanted the language to sound eerie and unsettling. My primary reference for Jan was Parseltongue from [the Harry Potter series], which is why the witches hiss their dialogues until the climax, where the language is finally spoken in a more natural tone.

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DS: As Shalini leads the trek through the forest, guiding the team deeper into the labyrinth, the male characters reveal their vulnerability, their egos bruised in moments of uncertainty. Meanwhile, the female characters assert themselves with a different kind of resilience. Why were these conflicts and the contrast between genders essential to the story?

BS: Bokshi is fundamentally a feminist narrative about witches, exploring the origins of patriarchy and its role in the suppression of women. The word Bokshi, a Nepali term for “witch,” carries a negative connotation. Throughout history, both in the West and in India, women have been persecuted under this label. For instance, witch-hunting remains a grim reality in Assam. I remember a case from my childhood, during the late 90s, in a nearby tea garden where a woman living alone with her two children was branded a witch and beheaded. Her only crime was washing clothes in a stream, which the community blamed for a jaundice outbreak. Her house was burned, and the men paraded her severed head through town, claiming they had killed a witch.  Our goal in the film was to subvert this negative image and reclaim the witch as a symbol of empowerment. Today, many women embrace the term to assert their independence and strength, embodying the wild, free-spirited woman archetype. Bokshi reflects this shift, embedding these ideas within its mythology. The film also explores gender conflict, portraying male characters in a way that highlights power dynamics without being one-sided. While the men may seem increasingly powerless, we ensured that their perspectives — like that of Avinash, the schoolteacher — were also represented. However, given that Bokshi is a story about witchcraft and female agency, it was essential to bring out these conflicts clearly.

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DS: Bokshi’s cinematography carries a brooding intensity, balancing the eerie beauty of dense forests with the striking, red-tinged bath sequences that pulse with ominous energy. How did you and cinematographers Siddharth Sivasankaran and A. Vasanth craft this distinctly horror-inflected visual language?

BS: So, half of the film was shot by Vasanth, a longtime collaborator who also worked on Black Cat, Awakenings and Kaafiron Ki Namaaz. The other half was shot by Siddharth. I involve my key department heads — sound, cinematography, production design, etc. — from the scripting stage to ensure a unified vision. For the cinematography, I was particular about using two aspect ratios: 1.85:1 (wide) and 1.33:1 (square). This choice visually represents Anahita’s internal struggle, with the frame expanding as she overcomes her conflicts. Since much of the film is set in forests, I wanted to avoid visual monotony by creating a gradual shift in atmosphere. As the narrative darkens, the forest becomes more claustrophobic, reinforcing the sense of dread. The camera movement also evolves — from static shots at the beginning to a more dynamic style — mirroring the protagonist’s psychological journey. Furthermore, the color red plays an important role in the film’s visual tone, symbolizing feminine power. We shot entirely on real locations, including the labyrinth set built in an actual forest. Filming in challenging mountainous terrains brought logistical hurdles, but we adapted to weather and landscape conditions while staying true to our vision. Despite the ambitious scale for an independent production, we successfully executed our ideas, especially in the visually striking climax.

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DS: Now that Bokshi has premiered at IFFR, what are your plans for the film’s journey, specifically regarding its festival run, audience reach and distribution?

BS: The selection at Rotterdam was a huge surprise, as I initially planned to premiere the film elsewhere. However, Rotterdam reached out, showing interest, which turned out to be a great opportunity. When we released the teaser in December, it resonated with audiences, leading to inquiries from major production companies in Mumbai about the film and my future projects. I feel fortunate for this response, and I credit Rotterdam for opening these doors. Our sales company, Alief, based in London and Paris, will handle international distribution outside the Indian subcontinent. Within India, I am in talks with leading production houses and streaming platforms, aiming for a release this year. I don’t want Bokshi to linger on the festival circuit too long, as films can feel outdated without a timely release. Releasing independent films in India is challenging, with many acclaimed indies struggling to find distribution. However, with horror and horror comedies performing well, Bokshi has attracted interest. I am hopeful for a release this year, alongside screenings at a few more key festivals.

Dipankar Sarkar (@Dipankar_Tezpur) is a graduate in film editing from the Film and Television Institute of India and currently based in Mumbai. As a freelancer, he frequently contributes to various Indian publications on cinema-related topics.

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