Exclusive! Indrasis Acharya’s next Niharika to delve into the gender identity crisis

Filmmaker Indrasis Acharya, who is known to make experimental content, is busy with the post-production work of his next, Niharika. The film that features Anuradha Mukherjee and Silajit in the lead, was shot in remote areas in Madhupur, Simultala and Giridih for one year to capture three seasons – summer, monsoon and winter.

While elaborating on his subject, Indrasis told OTTPlay, “ The film is about a young woman, Deepa, who has an abusive childhood. After losing everything in an unprecedented incident, she sets out on an intense journey of self-exploration and emerges as a completely transformed, empowered woman having spent days in a beautiful secluded house situated in a deserted land. Throughout her journey, she will also explore her sexual orientation. After getting intimate with a female nurse, she will find herself drawn toward her maternal uncle. Anuradha is playing the character of Deepa, while Silajit will portray the character of her maternal uncle.”

Earlier, Indrasis’ Pupa and Parcel garnered appreciation from different quarters. In fact, his directorial debut feature, Bilu Rakkhosh that is celebrating five years of its release,  was widely lauded by film critics and makers. The film that features Joy Sengupta, Koneenica Banerjee and Kanchana Maitra in lead is available on Indrasis’ YouTube channel. Meanwhile, Pupa and The Parcel are available on Amazon Prime.

Niharika is a crowdfunded project in which about 15 co-producers chipped in to finish the project. “It is not easy to make independent films in Bengal because those films are not made keeping commercial success in mind. When we started shooting the film, only one producer, Pastel Entertainment, financed the first bit. It was only after the first phase of shooting, that we showed our work to other producers and they came forward. I believe that it is important to have a space for creative independence,” Indrasis explained.