Bhooter Bhabishyat

Anik Dutta's 2012 Bengali film follows a young director shooting commercials. While filming in an old mansion a stranger begins telling him a story: the ghosts living in the building have gathered and made a plan to save themselves from demolition. The idea is placing ghosts in the position of refugees. Each comes from a different period; a landlord, a war victim, a former actress and a musician have to share one house, and the differences of class and caste between them persist. The humour is built on references to Bengali culture and cinema. The narrative takes property speculation and urban redevelopment as direct targets; the horror elements are barely taken seriously. Who it's for: those who like Bengali cinema and cultural satire. Who it's not for: viewers without the local context; most of the jokes rest on Bengali history and film.