Rotterdam-premiered 'Bokshi' heads to Indian theatres on Oct 9

After an acclaimed international festival run, filmmaker Bhargav Saikia's debut feature "Bokshi" is set for a theatrical release across India on October 9.

The multilingual folk horror film, shot in Hindi, Nepali and English, follows troubled teenager Anahita, whose school trek to a remote prehistoric site uncovers unsettling links to an ancient legend. The film also features a fictional language, Boksirit, created specifically for the project.

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“Bokshi” premiered at the International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) in 2025 before screening at several major genre festivals, including the Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival in Spain, the Neuchâtel International Fantastic Film Festival in Switzerland and SXSW Sydney in Australia. It was the only Indian feature selected for all three festivals that year.

Reflecting on the film's theatrical release, Saikia said he was excited to bring the film to audiences in India following its international festival journey.

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"We are thrilled to bring ‘Bokshi’ to our home audiences after an exciting 2025 festival tour, including screenings at iconic festivals like Rotterdam and Sitges," he said. "Crafted specifically for young audiences, this is a horror film made to be experienced on the big screen."

Screenwriter and executive producer Harsh Vaibhav described the film as "a fearless story about power, belief, and the narratives that shape us," adding that the team looks forward to sharing its world with cinema audiences.

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The cast includes Prasanna Bisht, Mansi Multani, and Siddharth Shaw.

According to the makers, Dutch linguist Jan van Steenbergen created "Boksirit", a fully developed fictional language, exclusively for “Bokshi”, making it the second Indian feature after “Baahubali” to incorporate an original constructed language.

Indian theatrical distribution is being handled by Sethumadhavan Napan, known for distributing acclaimed Tamil films including "Good Night".