The interesting trailer of filmmaker Abhishek Chowdhury’s upcoming futuristic drama Tikiland depicts a society fallen prey to a virus that hypnotizes and paralyzes people. Saptak (Devtanu Das), a theatre artiste, is the only exception as he refuses to be part of the virtually intoxicated masses, and hence, he makes his effort to channel his conflict through art.
In Tikiland, the virus, FOMO, has infiltrated the minds of people, turning them into TikiZombies. Clad in gaudy clothes, everyday people, in their constant attempt to stay relevant on social media platforms, seem entirely displaced from reality.
Immune to this threat, Saptak is seen screaming about the perils of addiction to screens. The artificial lifestyle of the people makes him wonder whether civilization is heading backwards in the name of advancement. He even goes to the extent of declaring that screens these days are more dangerous than nuclear weapons.
However, no one seems convinced about his ideas but Saptak refuses to give up.
The performance of the lead actor and the attempt to capture a world bereft of empathy and compassion using jarring visuals piques one's interest.
Chowdhury said in a statement that Das and he had been working on Tikiland for the past two years. “The moment I came up with the concept, I discussed it with Devtanu, and he started working on the script. It took two years to give the story the structure of a film," the statement read.
The actor-director duo initially conceived Tikiland as a short film but faced several hurdles before Aakanksha Manglani and her production house, KEFI Media and Entertainment, agreed to support the film.
Stating that making the futuristic film was challenging, the director said, "Projects like ours are barely seen in the Bengali film industry. The story revolves around the psychological, physical and social effects of social media in our lives. We have tried to portray the same through our creative minds."
Das said that Tikiland was very close to his heart. “I framed an actor's struggle in a FOMO-affected futuristic world in the script. That’s why I feel the story, concept and dialogues will be relatable to the audience," he said.
The screenwriter-actor added, “As an actor, my job was easy because Saptak lived inside me while writing the script. Our philosophies are more or less the same. The audience is the best judge. I am ready to surprise them with my performance, as usual."
Tikiland will be streamed on Mojoplex soon.
Check out the trailer below and let us know if you are keen on watching the film.