Actress Aninditaa Bose believes her upcoming Bengali dark thriller Ghun Gaon could leave audiences with more questions than answers—and potentially spark conversations long after they leave the theatre.
In an interview with IBNS, Bose discussed the film alongside co-star Ranojoy Bishhnu and director Soumya Roy Choudhury, opening up about the unusual story, experimental characters and the challenges of promoting a film whose central mystery has deliberately been kept under wraps.
For Bose, however, the film’s biggest attraction was always its story.
Aninditaa Bose says the story is Ghun Gaon’s biggest strength
Asked what made her take on the project after working in both Bengali and Hindi productions, Bose immediately pointed to the screenplay.
“The most different thing about Ghun Gaon is its story, and that is the main USP,” she said.
The actor also praised the film’s locations, cinematography, cast and supporting performers, but maintained that the story remains its biggest selling point.
Bose revealed that she agreed to the project almost immediately after director Soumya Roy Choudhury narrated it to her.
“That is why I closed my eyes and agreed to the project when Soumya narrated the story to me,” she said.
Ranojoy Bishhnu calls the story unlike anything he had heard before
Ranojoy Bishhnu was similarly intrigued when he first heard the screenplay.
The actor admitted that he had never encountered a story quite like it and was surprised by the possibilities explored in the film.
“I have never heard a story like this before,” he said, adding that he did not initially know a film like Ghun Gaon could be made.
Bishhnu was also attracted by the opportunity to play a character unlike those he had portrayed previously. For him, taking on unfamiliar roles is an important part of exploring himself as an actor.
He believes audiences could also be surprised by the world the film introduces, particularly because its subject touches upon something that many viewers may not have encountered before.
Aninditaa plays the determined Shanaya
From the trailer, Bose’s character Shanaya appears to be connected to wildlife photography, but the actor suggested there is much more to her than her profession.
Bose described Shanaya as someone with a strong sense of right and wrong who is not afraid to speak out when she sees something she considers wrong.
“She is very gutsy. She wants to explore things that others might not,” Bose explained.
Her character’s determination also becomes important to her relationship with Rishi, played by Bishhnu.
According to Bose, Shanaya is deeply passionate about her work and can become so focused on accomplishing something that she refuses to let obstacles stand in her way.
She credited Roy Choudhury with creating a character through whom different layers of the film can gradually emerge.
Rishi and Shanaya’s relationship forms the emotional core
Bishhnu described Rishi as someone who is deeply devoted to Shanaya.
He sees himself as her support system and said that Rishi’s life revolves heavily around his relationship with her. Their bond begins with a strong friendship before eventually developing into love and marriage.
The couple initially appear to be enjoying a happy life together. That changes when the events of Ghun Gaon begin to unfold.
The contrast between their personal relationship and the increasingly unsettling circumstances around them forms an important part of the film’s narrative.
‘I feel it’s going to be a conversation starter’
Bose believes Ghun Gaon stands apart from conventional Bengali thrillers because of the subject it explores.
She suggested that the film addresses its central idea in an understated way rather than explaining everything directly to the audience.
“It is a story that people have not seen before,” she said.
Bose even predicted that some viewers could be curious enough after watching the film to research its subject themselves.
“People might literally go home and Google it and educate themselves about what the story is about,” she said.
That is why she feels the film could become a “conversation starter.”
Bishhnu went even further, suggesting that the film could potentially encourage filmmakers to explore unconventional subjects and genres.
He praised Roy Choudhury for taking the risk instead of staying within familiar filmmaking territory.
Keeping the plot secret has made promotion challenging
The film’s mystery is also creating an unusual challenge for its cast while promoting it.
Bose acknowledged that it can be difficult for actors to promote a project when they cannot reveal much about its story.
At the same time, she believes that withholding information could work in the film’s favour.
The trailer has intentionally avoided giving away the central premise, according to the team. Bose hopes that viewers will enter the theatre out of curiosity and experience the story without knowing where it is heading.
She suggested that audiences could be “in awe” once the film’s underlying story becomes clear.
Soumya Roy Choudhury wanted to experiment with his debut
For director Soumya Roy Choudhury, Ghun Gaon presented an opportunity to experiment precisely because it is his first commercial feature.
He explained that a filmmaker can have greater freedom at the beginning of a career, before audiences and the industry develop expectations about the kind of movies they should make.
His intention was to create a commercial film while moving away from the conventional thriller format.
“I was determined to make a commercial film where I would try to bring some new genre of thriller,” he said.
As the story developed, Roy Choudhury said it became larger in scope and eventually gave him the idea of building a broader universe around it.
He has also hinted that audiences should stay through the end credits rather than assuming the story is completely finished.
The team encountered wildlife during the outdoor shoot
The film was shot outdoors in a location that the actors described as particularly beautiful and relatively untouched.
Bose said the experience of working there left her mesmerised, while also revealing that members of the production team reportedly encountered a black leopard.
She clarified that the animal encounter did not happen directly with her, but said the experience became part of the team’s memories from the shoot.
Bishhnu similarly recalled wildlife encounters around the filming location and suggested that the area has not yet been heavily discovered by the public.
Sunidhi Chauhan lends her voice to the film
Ghun Gaon also features a song sung by acclaimed playback singer Sunidhi Chauhan.
Roy Choudhury was quick to credit music director Debashis Ganguly for bringing Chauhan onto the project.
According to the director, after Ganguly composed the song, the team began discussing who could best perform it. The composer reportedly suggested that Chauhan would be the right choice.
Roy Choudhury initially found the idea difficult to believe, but Ganguly approached the singer. Chauhan subsequently liked the composition and agreed to be part of the film.
Ranojoy Bishhnu wants audiences to experience it in theatres
Bishhnu believes Ghun Gaon is the kind of film that benefits from being watched on the big screen.
He encouraged audiences to experience the thriller in theatres rather than waiting to watch it on a phone or television.
“Some films are made for the hall,” he said, emphasizing the importance of the theatrical experience.
Bose similarly urged viewers who are looking for something different to give the film a chance.
She teased a story that could leave audiences with “a thousand questions” before providing answers, while still retaining a cliffhanger designed to keep them engaged.
With its deliberately guarded plot, unusual premise and ambitions to move beyond conventional thriller territory, Ghun Gaon is positioning itself as a film that wants its audience to discover its mysteries rather than have them explained in advance.
