Guwahati : Assam filmmaker Bhargav Saikia’s much-anticipated directorial debut feature Bokshi has unveiled its trailer ahead of its nationwide theatrical release on October 9, offering audiences a first glimpse into the unsettling folk-horror world of a film that has already travelled to some of the world’s leading international genre film festivals.

Originally from Biswanath in Assam and now based in Mumbai, Saikia has made his feature directorial debut with Bokshi, an ambitious independent film inspired by the myths, landscapes and folk traditions of Sikkim. The trailer brings together dense forests, ancient legends, rituals and psychological horror, with the mountains of Sikkim becoming an integral part of the film’s mysterious and atmospheric world.

The trailer follows troubled teenager Anahita, played by Prasanna Bisht, whose school expedition into the mountains takes an increasingly sinister turn when she encounters a mysterious site and unsettling connections to an ancient legend. Her history teacher Shalini, played by Mansi Multani, becomes part of the unfolding mystery as myth and reality begin to blur.

Adding to the film’s growing anticipation, acclaimed filmmaker Anurag Kashyap has shared the Bokshi trailer on Instagram and expressed his enthusiasm for the project.

For Assam, the film marks an important milestone in Saikia’s filmmaking journey. After growing up in Biswanath and studying at The Assam Valley School, Saikia went on to study at The University of Manchester in the UK before moving to Mumbai in 2011 to pursue filmmaking at Whistling Woods International. He began his professional career as a producer with the acclaimed independent feature Kaafiron Ki Namaaz in 2014, before directing internationally screened short films including  Awakenings  and The Black Cat. Bokshi now marks his first feature as a director.

The film’s journey began long before its theatrical release. Saikia and writer-executive producer Harsh Vaibhav spent nearly three years travelling through Sikkim and researching the region before mounting the production. The film was subsequently shot over an extensive 80-day schedule across East Sikkim, West Sikkim and around Gangtok, with the region’s forests, mountains and landscapes becoming an essential part of its visual and narrative identity.

Bokshi had its World Premiere at the International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) in 2025 and went on to be showcased at several major international genre festivals. It holds the distinction of being the only Indian feature film at the 2025 editions of the Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival in Spain, the Neuchâtel International Fantastic Film Festival in Switzerland, and SXSW Sydney in Australia.

Unlike conventional horror films that rely heavily on visual effects, Bokshi takes a practical filmmaking approach, using practical effects and real locations to create an atmosphere of psychological dread. Its multilingual world incorporates Hindi, English and Nepali, alongside Boksirit, a fully developed fictional language created exclusively for the film by renowned Dutch linguist Jan van Steenbergen.

The film features Prasanna Bisht, Mansi Multani and Siddharth Shaw in pivotal roles, with Shernaz Patel lending her voice to the titular character. Cinematography is by A. Vasanth (Game Over) and debutant Siddharth Sivasankaran, with editing by Himanshu Saikia, sound design by Dhiman Karmakar and music by Advait Nemlekar.

As Bokshi prepares to arrive in Indian theatres on October 9, the film brings together an Assam filmmaker’s feature directorial debut, a story deeply rooted in the folk imagination of the eastern Himalayas, and an international festival journey that has already taken it far beyond India.