Spanish style distributor Wild Duck Productions has acquired rights to Indian filmmaker Bhargav Saikia’s people horror “Bokshi” for a Halloween theatrical launch, following the movie’s profitable pageant run since its Rotterdam world premiere.
The deal was negotiated between Luis Rosales on behalf of Wild Duck and Brett Walker with Miguel Angel Govea of Alief, representing the filmmakers. Wild Duck is starting Spanish dubbing subsequent week.
“Bokshi,” which interprets to “witch” in Nepali, has undergone vital artistic evolution since its January 2025 world premiere in International Film Festival Rotterdam‘s Harbour section. Following IFFR, the film was recut into a leaner version focusing on eroticism with a sense of dread, in the vein of Robert Eggers’ work. This ultimate lower premiered at Neuchâtel Worldwide Implausible Movie Pageant and subsequently performed Sitges, SXSW Sydney, Razor Reel Flanders, and the U.Okay.’s Abertoir Wales pageant.
The movie follows Anahita, a troubled teen who finds solace in Shalini, a mysterious historical past trainer main a trek to an historic website known as ‘The Navel.’ The varsity tour takes a darkish flip as connections emerge between the location and a cult worshipping Bokshi, a feared folkloric demoness.
Shot over 80 days throughout distant Himalayan areas in Sikkim, West Bengal and Assam, the impartial manufacturing options dialogue in Hindi, English, Nepali and Boksirit – a completely developed fictional language created for the movie by Dutch linguist Jan van Steenbergen.
“At its core, it is a cautionary tale that sheds light on universal and socially relevant themes of women empowerment and humanity’s relation with Mother Earth,” Saikia beforehand instructed Selection. “The film attempts to subvert the negative idea of the witch prevalent in society and presents it as a symbol of empowerment of the female.”
The movie stars Mansi Multani (“A Suitable Boy”) and Prasanna Bisht (“Farrey”). Harsh Vaibhav penned the screenplay and serves as govt producer. Siddharth Sivasankaran and A. Vasanth dealt with cinematography, with music by Advait Nemlekar and enhancing by Himanshu Chutia Saikia.
Wild Duck Productions focuses on style releases within the Spanish market. The corporate beforehand acquired Alief’s Fantasia choice “Nesting” on the European Movie Market.
“Bokshi” is at the moment having fun with a profitable India-wide pageant run, with the filmmakers in discussions with exhibitors, streamers and broadcasters about windowing a nationwide launch. On the Cannes market, Alief studies robust curiosity from consumers in Southeast Asia, North America, the U.Okay. and Europe.
The challenge was developed over 5 years by Saikia’s Mumbai-based Lorien Movement Footage. Saikia, who hails from the northeastern state of Assam, beforehand directed horror quick “Awakenings” (2015), which screened at Sitges and Neuchâtel, and fantasy quick “The Black Cat” (2017).
