Following a substantial festival run, Bhargav Saikia's directorial debut feature Bokshi is headed for a theatrical release in India on October 9, 2026.
Shot in Hindi, Nepali and English, while also featuring the fictional language 'Boksirit', the multilingual folk horror film follows a troubled teenager, Anahita, whose school trek to a remote prehistoric site unravels unsettling connections to an ancient legend.
Bokshi had its world premiere at the International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) in 2025. It was also the only Indian feature showcased that year at the Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival in Spain, the Neuchâtel International Fantastic Film Festival in Switzerland and SXSW Sydney in Australia.
Prior to this, Bhargav had directed the fantasy short The Black Cat starring the late Tom Alter and Shernaz Patel.
Speaking about the theatrical release of his debut feature, Saikia said, “We are thrilled to bring Bokshi to our home audiences after an exciting 2025 festival tour, including screenings at iconic festivals like Rotterdam (IFFR) and Sitges. Crafted specifically for young audiences, Bokshi is a horror film made to be experienced on the big screen.”
Harsh Vaibhav, the film's screenwriter and executive producer, said, “Bokshi is a fearless story about power, belief, and the narratives that shape us. We can’t wait for audiences to experience its world in theatres this October.”
Bokshi's Indian theatrical distribution is being handled by Sethumadhavan Napan, who has distributed acclaimed Tamil films like Good Night and With Love, and spearheaded the re-release of the iconic Mammootty-starrer Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha.
Bokshi has actors Prasanna Bisht, Mansi Multani, Siddharth Shaw among others in the cast. Dutch linguist Jan van Steenbergen created the fictional 'Boksirit' language for the film, making Bokshi the second Indian feature after Baahubali to feature a fully developed fictional language.