With Bohurupi – The Golden Daku, Nandita Roy and Shiboprosad Mukherjee return to a universe where crime and conscience collide, family ties are tested, and the line between right and wrong grows increasingly blurred. As Hombale Films takes on the film’s international distribution, the film, which releases today in theatres, also marks a significant moment for Bengali cinema’s ambitions on the global stage. In a chat with t2, the filmmaker duo discuss the film’s cultural roots, its morally complex characters, the response to their promotional tour across Bengal, and what it takes to carry a distinctly Bengali story to audiences beyond its home turf.
Hombale Films, the banner behind some major pan-Indian successes, taking on the international distribution of Bohurupi – The Golden Daku is a significant development. How did this association come about?
Shiboprosad Mukherjee: I remember receiving a call from Mr Chaluve Gowda of Hombale Films at around 11:21pm. He shared their interest in taking up the overseas distribution of our upcoming film, Bohurupi – The Golden Daku. For us, this is a significant milestone, not just for Windows, but for the entire Bengali film industry.
Hombale Films has set remarkable benchmarks with culturally rooted films like KGF and Kantara, and their decision to associate with Bohurupi – The Golden Daku is a matter of immense pride for all of us. I am deeply grateful to Chaluve Bhaisahab for making this historic collaboration possible. I would also like to extend my sincere thanks to Mayank Shroff, head of filming and distribution, for his constant support throughout this journey.
With Hombale Films’ national and international footprint backing the film’s overseas distribution, what does it mean to you?
Shiboprosad Mukherjee: This association gives our film an opportunity to reach audiences beyond the geographical boundaries within which Bengali cinema is traditionally consumed. It is encouraging when a production house with such a strong national and international presence recognises the potential of a Bengali film.
For us, the ambition has always been to tell stories rooted in our culture while making them accessible to audiences everywhere. This collaboration strengthens that belief. It also sends a positive message to the Bengali film industry that our stories can travel, find new audiences and become part of a larger cinematic conversation.
Nandita Roy: Cinema has the power to transcend language when the emotions and conflicts at its heart are universal. A wider distribution network allows a film to travel further, but the story must first establish an emotional connection. We hope Bohurupi – The Golden Daku will find that connection with audiences across different regions and cultures.
Bohurupi draws on a distinctly Bengali tradition of disguise, while its sequel explores crime, corruption and the conflict between law and justice. Do you think this combination of local identity and universal themes makes the film particularly suited to a wider audience?
Nandita Roy: Absolutely. The idea of a bohurupi is deeply connected to Bengal’s cultural memory. It represents transformation, performance and the ability to become someone else. We have taken this fascinating cultural element and placed it within the framework of a contemporary crime thriller.
At the same time, the film explores questions that are not limited to any one region. What happens when the system itself becomes complicated? Can the law always deliver justice? What happens when an individual begins to believe that he can outsmart the system? These are questions that audiences everywhere can relate to. Our approach has been to retain the cultural specificity of the story while allowing its human conflicts to speak a universal language.
Shiboprosad Mukherjee and Nandita Roy
You took Bohurupi – The Golden Daku to Berhampore and Burdwan with music and performances. What was the response like, and what stood out about the audiences in these two towns?
Shiboprosad Mukherjee: The response in Berhampore and Burdwan was incredibly heartening. Taking Bohurupi – The Golden Daku to audiences across Bengal through music and performances allowed us to experience their enthusiasm firsthand. What stood out was the excitement with which people connected with the film’s characters, music and distinctly Bengali identity.
Bengal itself is an integral part of the Bohurupi universe. We have filmed across Hasnabad, Taki, Barasat, Burdwan, Bolpur, Bishnupur, Malda and several other locations, capturing the diverse geographical and cultural landscape of the state. These places are not merely backdrops; they contribute to the film’s atmosphere and authenticity.
Nandita Roy: For us, the experience of travelling to Berhampore and Burdwan reinforced the importance of that connection. Every town has its own character and energy, but there is a shared cultural familiarity that audiences recognise in the film. Their enthusiasm reminded us that when a story remains authentic to its roots, it can resonate far beyond its immediate setting.
When you take a film beyond Calcutta and meet audiences in their own cities, does the experience tell you something about the film’s reach that box-office numbers cannot?
Shiboprosad Mukherjee: Definitely. Box-office numbers tell you how a film has performed commercially, but they cannot fully capture the emotional relationship audiences develop with it. When you meet people, hear their reactions and see their excitement, you understand what has stayed with them.
For us, cinema is not just about the numbers after release. It is also about conversations, memories and the way a story becomes part of people’s lives. These interactions help us understand the audience more intimately and remind us why we make films in the first place.
The trailer suggests that both Bikram and Ayan are capable of betrayal and double-crossing. In this world, is survival a stronger motivation than loyalty, or do the characters have their own codes that they refuse to abandon?
Nandita Roy: The interesting thing about these characters is that they do not see themselves as entirely right or entirely wrong. Each of them operates according to a personal understanding of the world, and that understanding determines the choices they make. Survival is certainly a powerful motivation, but it does not necessarily erase loyalty or personal codes.
Bikram is a master of disguise, but the trailer also presents him as a man deeply committed to his family. Which side of him is closer to his core identity — the ingenious outlaw, the family man or the man who refuses to bow to the system?
Shiboprosad Mukherjee: For me, these sides cannot be separated so easily. Bikram’s ingenuity, his defiance and his attachment to his family are all parts of the same person. His ability to transform himself is what makes him such an intriguing character, but beneath those disguises lies a man with his own emotional vulnerabilities.
His family gives him a reason to fight, while his relationship with the system shapes the way he fights. He may be unpredictable in his methods, but his emotions are deeply human. That contradiction is what makes Bikram interesting to portray. The audience may admire his cleverness, question his choices and still understand the man behind the disguise.
Koushani Mukherjee returns as Jhimli, Bikram’s wife, while Sohini Sarkar’s character appears to occupy a complicated space in Ayan’s personal life. How important are these women in revealing the vulnerabilities of two men who otherwise project control and aggression?
Nandita Roy: They are extremely important because relationships often reveal what power and aggression conceal. Bikram and Ayan may appear to be in control of their circumstances, but their personal relationships expose their insecurities, attachments and emotional contradictions.
Jhimli is not simply Bikram’s wife. She has her own instincts, intelligence and understanding of the world they inhabit. Her relationship with Bikram has a distinct dynamic because she understands the world of deception from within. Similarly, the woman in Ayan’s life helps us explore the personal dimensions of a man who otherwise operates within a world of authority and control.
We wanted these women to be integral to the narrative, not merely present to explain the men. Their relationships bring emotional complexity to the thriller and make the stakes more personal.
The bohurupi tradition of disguise is central to the film’s identity. What fascinated you about this folk practice, and how did you translate its cultural significance into the language of a contemporary crime thriller?
Nandita Roy: What fascinated us about the bohurupi tradition was the idea of transformation itself. A bohurupi uses appearance, performance and observation to become someone else. There is an inherent theatricality to the practice, but there is also a deeper question of identity: if a person can repeatedly become someone else, what remains constant about who they really are?
We felt this idea could become the foundation of a compelling crime thriller. In our film, disguise is not merely a device to deceive someone; it becomes a way of navigating a world where appearances can be misleading and identities can be manipulated. We have tried to preserve the cultural roots of the concept while placing it within a contemporary narrative of crime, corruption and justice.
Bikram’s sarcasm and topical references seem to carry a political edge. How do you ensure that such moments feel organic to the character rather than like commentary inserted into the narrative?
Shiboprosad Mukherjee: The key is to ensure that the character comes first. Bikram is a man who observes people, understands situations and uses humour as a way of dealing with the world around him. His sarcasm comes from his personality and his circumstances; it is not something we have added simply to make a statement.
When a character makes a topical reference, it should emerge naturally from the situation and reflect his way of thinking. We are interested in allowing audiences to recognise the larger implications for themselves rather than explaining everything through dialogue. Humour can make a moment entertaining, but it can also reveal a character’s attitude towards authority, power and society. That balance is important to us.