Bhog : A Supernatural Thriller By Parambrata Chattopadhyay
Bhog, the upcoming Hoichoi supernatural thriller directed by Parambrata Chattopadhyay, sees Anirban Bhattacharya transform from a logical man into a fanatical devotee of a tantric goddess after discovering a mysterious brass idol.
Well, here’s one for the books — or should we say, the brass-bound, spine-tingling novella shelf. The teaser for Bhog, an upcoming supernatural thriller series directed by Parambrata Chattopadhyay, has dropped on Hoichoi like a bolt from the blue — and it’s about as comforting as discovering a Ouija board in your nan’s biscuit tin.
Based on a novella by Avik Sarkar, Bhog stars the usually level-headed Anirban Bhattacharya, who’s best known for playing men of reason and restraint. But in a plot twist that would make even Sherlock chuck his deerstalker in disbelief, Anirban’s character goes from Spock-like logic to full-blown ‘I’ve-seen-the-goddess-and-she’s-speaking-to-me’ territory after picking up a mysterious brass idol from what one can only assume was a deeply dodgy curio shop. The sort that probably also sells monkey paws and slightly cursed mirrors.
Set to premiere on Hoichoi on 1st May (mark your calendars and maybe also call your local exorcist), Bhog chronicles the unraveling of a reclusive bachelor — played by Anirban — who becomes utterly besotted with the aforementioned idol. But this isn’t your garden-variety spiritual awakening. Oh no. This is the sort of obsession that leads to candlelit chanting, blank stares, and scaring the living daylights out of your neighbours.
The one-minute-and-32-second teaser dropped on Sunday, and let’s just say it’s not for the faint-hearted. Anirban is seen muttering sweet nothings to ‘Maa’, his beloved idol, in a voice that suggests he’s long since left the shores of sanity and is now paddling in the murky waters of occult devotion. If you ever wanted to see what happens when a man’s heart is stolen by a brass statue, now’s your chance.
Parno Mittra and Rajatava Dutta also feature in the cast, hopefully bringing a bit of grounding to the spiralling madness — or at least someone to hold the torches and shout, “What on earth is going on here, then?”
This marks the first time Parambrata directs Anirban, and judging by the teaser, he’s not pulling any punches. Given that Parambrata’s last outing on Hoichoi, Nikosh Chhaya, had Chiranjeet Chakrabarti playing a brooding occult specialist with a penchant for ritualistic mysteries, Bhog seems right up his alley. Honestly, one wonders what’s in Parambrata’s tea.
The story has had quite a journey. Sarkar’s original Bhog was previously turned into an audiobook and later adapted for the silver screen by Raajhorshee De in the film Purba Paschim Dakshin Uttar Asbei. Clearly, this little brass idol gets around.
So, if you fancy something a bit chilling, a tad unsettling, and entirely unfit for bedtime viewing, pop the kettle on and get ready for Bhog. But do yourself a favour — maybe give the curio shops a miss for a while, eh?
After all, you never know when your next decorative knick-knack might start whispering sweet tantric nothings.
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