Principal photography is set to commence on March 1 for Chheledhora, a Bengali-language family thriller written and directed by Shieladitya Moulik, and starring Swastika Mukherjee in the lead. The film, an Indo-American co-production, will be shot across the striking and largely unexplored locations of Itanagar and Ziro Valley in Arunachal Pradesh.
Moulik, whose previous Bengali feature Surjo enjoyed an 11-week theatrical run, returns with a genre-bending narrative that blends emotional family drama with thriller elements and understated dark humour. Chheledhora positions itself as a rare Bengali-language road movie, anchored by a morally complex female protagonist.
While deeply rooted in its cultural milieu, the film addresses themes of parenthood, guilt, responsibility, and emotional neglect—concerns that cut across geography, class, and social boundaries. Conceived as a story that audiences everywhere can relate to, Chheledhora speaks to shared human anxieties within contemporary society, making it accessible to a wide spectrum of viewers. At the same time, the film is being developed with the international film festival circuit in mind, where intimate, character-driven narratives with universal emotional stakes continue to find strong resonance.
The film follows Brishti, a divorced, deeply flawed and emotionally misunderstood woman portrayed by Mukherjee. In a moment of impulsive defiance, Brishti takes her young daughter away for a birthday celebration, only for events to spiral when the child is genuinely abducted. In a twist of fate, Brishti stumbles upon an unexpected discovery, triggering a volatile exchange that evolves into a life-altering journey.
“Chheledhora is a story about damaged parents discovering the courage and selflessness they didn’t know they possessed,” said Moulik. “I’m drawn to flawed people—those who stumble, who make terrible choices, but are still capable of love. The film unfolds like a road journey filled with uncertainty, but at its core, it’s about healing, second chances, and rediscovering one’s humanity.”
“Brishti is not designed to be likeable, and that honesty moved me,” Mukherjee said. “She is impulsive, wounded, and deeply flawed, but her love for her daughter is instinctive and fierce. This journey forces her to confront herself in ways she has avoided for years. At its heart, this is a very intimate story about motherhood, forgiveness, and finding strength in moments of emotional collapse.”
Chheledhora is produced by Handyyman and Sita22 Films, marking a notable Indo-American collaboration.
“Shieladitya and I go back to our early advertising days, including our first NFDC Film Bazaar in 2014 with Mrs Scooter, his first feature – which built a strong creative shorthand between us,” said Protiqe Mojoomdar of Handyyman, which has produced the web show Hawa Badle Hassu and executive produced Interdependence – an award-winning, Indo-Italian-Swiss feature co-production with 11 filmmakers from around the world. “When I read Chheledhora, I had this
urgent instinct to come on board because the script had emotional depth and commercial energy, and with Swastika attached early, we knew we had a winner.“
“Throughout my four decades as a corporate executive at global companies including PepsiCo, S.C. Johnson and Pernod Ricard, I’ve seen how creativity is the oxygen to growth,” said Anindita (Ann) Mukherjee, founder of Sita22 Films. “Chheledhora drew me in because it places women and children at its emotional core — portraying both their vulnerability and resilience. Funding and co-producing this film reflects the kind of socially-conscious, emotionally-layered stories I want my new production company to champion, in order to give voice to those who are innocent and voiceless.”
Italian cinematographer Vincenzo Condorelli (Cobalt Blue, Songs of Paradise) will be lensing the film, capturing the expansive landscapes of Ziro Valley while preserving the intimacy of the character-driven narrative. Suven Kumar Das is on board as line producer, with Jitin Hingorani (Call Me Dancer) serving as creative producer. Somanwita Bhattacharya (The Hunt: The Rajiv Gandhi Assassination Case) is handling production design, while Ajopa Mukherjee is designing costumes.
Production is scheduled to continue through the end of March, with further casting announcements expected in due course.