Rish is a horror film with elements of romance, says director Preetam Mukherjee

The trailer of Preetam Mukherjee’s upcoming horror film Rish was launched at the JW Marriott Hotel Kolkata in the presence of the director, lead actors Sourav Das, Darshana Banik and Kiaana Mukherjee and writer Debarati Bhowmick.

Rish tells the story of a middle-class family that is haunted by the evil spirit of a girl.

“One of the primary reasons to watch the horror film is the ghost is a small girl. In Bengali cinema, for the first time, we have created a ghost using prosthetic make-up on a small girl," said the director.

The film will also present Sourav Das and Darshana Banik as a couple, and Chandreyee Ghosh in the avatar of a nun for the first time.

“The visual effects used in the film are quite innovative. Besides the horror elements, the film tells a sweet story of a Bengali family and also contains elements of romance and comic relief," added Mukherjee.

According to Das, who plays Abir in the film, Rish is interesting as it tells the story of an evil spirit entering a simple middle-class family.

Speaking of his experience of working with child actress Kiaana Mukherjee, Das said, “Seeing Kiaana, a six-year-old girl, going through the process of putting on prosthetic make-up every day and delivering her performance was quite an impressive experience. She had to endure a lot since the first day, but she has done the job with a smiling face throughout."

Das added that horror film directors face a lot of pressure but according to him, Mukherjee has done a wonderful job. “I have had a wonderful experience working in the film and hope to work with Preetam in the future,” he added.

According to Banik, the film is a story of human relationships. “It was quite a challenge to play the role of a mother and I specifically agreed to do the film because of the character of a mother," he said.

Bhowmick said, “I hope that the audience watches the film on the big screen and gets scared. It was a long journey — conceiving the plot, and writing the screenplay and dialogues of the film. I have had to perform multiple roles while making the film and I am rooting for the film’s success.”

Rish will be released in theatres on 13 May.