Latest news with #Bhog
New Indian Express
25-05-2025
- New Indian Express
Annual pilgrimage season of Hemkund Sahib shrine begins in Uttarakhand
DEHRADUN: The sacred portals of Hemkund Sahib, a revered Sikh shrine in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district, officially opened to devotees at 10 am on Sunday, marking the start of the annual pilgrimage season. Led by the 'Panj Pyaras', approximately 5,000 devotees gathered to witness the much-anticipated moment. Dedicated to Shri Guru Gobind Singh, the 10th Sikh Guru, the shrine holds profound spiritual significance for Sikhs. Preparations for the opening began on Saturday with a Shabd Kirtan and the Bhog ceremony of the Akhand Path at the Govindghat Gurudwara. Early Sunday morning, the first batch of pilgrims, led by the 'Panj Pyaras' and accompanied by a band from Punjab and the Army, commenced their journey towards Hemkund Sahib from Govindghat. Chanting "Jo Boley Sonihal, Sat Sri Akaal," groups of devotees, known as 'jathas', made their way up the arduous path before the official opening ceremony.
Hindustan Times
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
‘Eken Babu has given me identity as an actor': Anirban Chakrabarti
Anirban Chakrabarti is well aware of the massive love his sly and lovable detective Eken Babu has got over the years. In an exclusive interaction with Hindustan Times ahead of the release of The Eken: Benaras e Bibhishika, the actor opened up about how it is always a joy to return to the character, shooting in Varanasi during the scorching Summers, and more. (Translated from Bengali) (Also read: Anirban Bhattacharya opens up on Hoichoi series Bhog: 'It was an incredible offer as an actor' | Interview) What has been the best part about playing Eken? The actor says, 'Out of all the characters I have played, Eken has become the most popular. It has become a franchise. I have played this character a total of 11 times! This is a rare occurrence for an actor. We started our journey with this character first in the web series format. Then it became popular, so we did a movie, and that became successful as well. So here we are… this entire journey has given us so much joy, and I must admit that as an actor, Eken has played a huge role in giving me an identity.' 'People have for the first time identified me for this part. It is my first major break, it has become a part of my identity as an actor… which is still continuing. People love me as Eken, which is extremely important to me,' he adds. As the title The Eken: Benaras e Bibhishika suggests, this time Eken Babu and gang will be in Varanasi for all solving a mystery. When asked how it was shooting in the city, Anirban said, 'Varanasi is one of my most favourite places to visit. I have been there multiple times as well. It is such a diverse city, spiritually and culturally rich. Usually, it is during the winters when I prefer to go to Varanasi. But this time we had to shoot during the summers, which was just a lot! The entire day time we had outdoor shoots, and face the rays of the sun. Now that was painful!' He went on to say, 'Of course, when one is shooting, there are fewer chances of sightseeing, and we were there during Holi. The festival has an important part to play in our film, and this time we saw the Masan Holi, which happens three days before the main day. It is played with ashes. That aside, Varanasi is known for its ghats, the small lanes and the Ganga aroti… those are also part of the film. During the shoot, we had to do a boat ride and go to the location in a ghat with all the technicians. We had to avoid the evenings because the place would get crowded due to the aroti.' The Eken: Benaras e Bibhishika also brings back director Joydeep Mukherjee to the helm. Anirban gushes about working with Joydeep and says, 'This is my 12th film with him. What happens is that when an actor and a director work together many times, the work becomes so much easier. Both of us are able to interpret the scenes in a much more flexible manner because we know each other's patterns of work. That is an interesting and helpful point, which has taken place during the shoot of this film. It really does ease out so much. The schedules are very packed, so this tuning becomes really helpful. Joydeep, as a director, is very sorted, every aspect of the shoot is so well divided that for each and every actor in the cast, it becomes really easy. The camera angles, which shot will be done on a day, everything is decided before. As an actor, it is the best ever situation.' Anirban concludes with a special message for the fans of Eken Babu. 'The people have given so much love to Eken Babu, and this film promises a bigger thrill this time. It has been shot in a bigger way, and we have tried to do our best with this film as well. There are so many new faces this time, and the combination has been wonderful for the film. I am hopeful that the audience will love Eken this time,' he says. The Eken: Benaras e Bibhishika also stars Saswata Chatterjee, Gaurav Chakrabarty, Ishaa Saha, and Biswanath Basu. The film is all set to release in theatres on May 16.
Hindustan Times
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Bhog review: Anirban Bhattacharya shines in eerie and unsettling mythical horror
Bhog, the new Hoichoi Original directed by actor Parambrata Chattopadhyay, tripled my heart rate and left my jaw on the floor in the best possible way. Even though I am aware of the original short story by Avik Sarkar, which serves as the source for this compact 6-episode series, it left me surprised and hooked from the get-go. It starts off ominously and builds up slowly into a form of elevated mythical horror. (Also read: Anirban Bhattacharya opens up on Hoichoi series Bhog: 'It was an incredible offer as an actor' | Interview) Bhog, which translates to a form of offering in Bengali, centres around Atin (Anirban Bhattacharya), a Kolkata-based man in his 30s working in sales. The show begins with good news as he gets a much-deserved promotion. He is an orphan who is being looked after by Pushpa di (Sudipa Basu) at the house. She dutifully cooks him food and reveals how his departed mother had made her promise to take care of Atin. His uncle Bhabesh Kaku (Rajadava Dutta) looks after him quite often. Everything seems okay with Atin, who harbours a love for antique pieces. One day, when he chances upon this other-worldly deity in his friend's shop- a goddess with four hands, carrying a skull in one and another holding a stringed instrument. Its untraceability further hooks him; there's a strange sort of pull towards it that he cannot escape. He brings the deity home and begins to worship it. Soon, he has a dream-like vision at night where the deity reveals that she is hungry and wants an offering. What is this conspiracy? Atin must not ask. He must submit himself completely. And so he does, as Bhog begins to chart his gradual descent into this obsession that engulfs his body and mind. His devotion nullifies his other interests, desires, and wants to such an extent that he does not see any harm in bringing a stranger home one evening. She is Damri, played by the terrific Parno Mittra. She cooks the food, and Atin eats it- even if it makes him puke it up. Bhog plays out in the course of 6 tightly knit episodes, directed with utmost care and nuance by Parambrata Chattopadhyay. The setting is key, as Atin's sense of paranoia mixed with relief is balanced with the brilliant use of lighting and set design. Shantanu Mitra Neogi's screenplay wisely expands on the elements that the original text stepped aside, contextualizing the questions that crop up later. Nabarun Bose's chilling background score is one of the biggest highlights of the show, slowly building up towards a gradual crescendo of sorts. None of it works without the chilling central performance of Anirban Bhattacharya, who embodies Atin's mask of fear and curiosity with great depth of feeling. So much of this man is left to the physicality, the way his body slowly shrinks under the weight of this invisible burden. The actor nails that sense of loss and revelation extremely well. Special shoutout to the special appearance of Subhasish Mukherjee, who stands out in that one single scene. Bhog is not so much about myths or demons as it is about faith. Or the loss of it. Atin is influenced within this hyper-real world of mysteries and energies, and he loses a sense of control. Even as he begins to shy away, there are only a handful of people who act on this sudden change. Beneath the surface of all the terror and thrill of Bhog lies the fate of a lonely middleman existing in his own little shell. It is an inexplicable sort of belief that one can suffice by themselves, but does it really work that way? As Atin will learn by the end, the sense of an offering, if any, must arrive as an act of love. Bhog is now streaming on Hoichoi.
Time of India
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
When devotion turns dangerous: Inside the world of Bhog
Parambrata Chattopadhyay's Bhog, adapted from Avik Sarkar's story, streams on OTT, exploring the unsettling intersection of faith and madness. Anirban Bhattacharya portrays Atin, whose life unravels after encountering a brass idol, leading to a disturbing obsession. Parno Mittra delivers a chilling performance, while supporting actors add depth to Atin's terrifying journey into self-loss. Audiences can now watch Bhog , a mythological horror series streaming on OTT, adapted from a story by Avik Sarkar and directed by Parambrata Chattopadhyay. The series reimagines the disturbing interplay between faith and madness through a chilling narrative of possession and psychological unraveling. At the center of Bhog is Atin ( Anirban Bhattacharya ), a man of logic whose life takes a dark turn after he encounters an innocuous brass idol. His fascination with the object spirals into a trance-like devotion to an unknown "Maa," dissolving his grip on time, sanity, and self. Parno Mittra delivers a particularly eerie performance, her chilling line—'Daida Babu, Bhog debe na maa ke?'—echoing long after it's heard. Supporting characters provide emotional texture to Atin's descent: Rajatava Dutta as Bhabesh, a paternal anchor; Sudipa Basu as Pushpa Di, a maternal figure offering brief solace; and Subhashish Mukhopadhyay as the enigmatic Agombagish, who deepens the mystery with his cryptic presence. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 2025 Top Trending local enterprise accounting software [Click Here] Esseps Learn More Undo Director Parambrata describes Bhog not just as horror, but as 'a meditation on how obsession can masquerade as faith.' Lead actor Anirban Bhattacharya adds, 'Atin's journey is terrifying yet deeply human… Bhog explores the fear of losing yourself.'
Hindustan Times
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Anirban Bhattacharya opens up on Hoichoi series Bhog: ‘It was an incredible offer as an actor'
Actor Anirban Bhattacharya gives a chilling turn in the new psychological horror series Bhog, which releases on Hoichoi on May 1. The story, which is an adaptation of a short story written by Avik Sarkar, revolves around a Calcutta-based man who descends into a strange obsession of worshipping an antique deity. His gradual descent into this obsession knows no bounds. Ahead of the release of Bhog, Hindustan Times caught up with the actor for an exclusive chat in Bengali about the show, his approach to the part, and working with Parambrata Chattopadhyay a director for the first time. (Excerpts translated from Bengali) 'When I was told that I was being considered for this particular character, I heard the audio version of the story, the one that was done by Sunday Suspense,' he says when asked about whether he knew the story from before. 'It was done so well. I knew I was being considered for Atin at that time as well. I loved the story. It was so interesting and so well-known by the readers and listeners. Right after this, I headed to the director's place to ask him more. I wanted to know what he wanted out of the story, what he wanted to see through this, and how he was thinking of approaching this particular material. The process started from that standpoint.' In Bhog, Atin's character goes through a transition, where he loses sense of everything around him in his worship of the deity. Anirban is not quite sure he knows how to talk about his approach to the part, and admits, 'That's my job. The transformation that Atin goes through, how that is visible to the camera. I am eager to see how that comes alive on screen when Bhog releases. As an actor, I have given my best to give Atin that arc, now it is up to the viewers to see how it is received.' He goes on to add, 'Atin's life becomes monolithic, all of him is into worshipping this deity. He becomes this blank person when seen from the outside. That was something quite difficult to express as an actor. Param da had very good guidance for me to tackle that, and the writing itself was so inherently strong… which was of great help.' Unlike Atin, Anirban does not have any such obsession when it comes to being an actor. He calmly states how he looks at this idea, 'Atin goes from possession to obsession, and what I believe in as an actor does not matter at all. As an actor, I am always trying to feed into what the character believes in and make it my own. That is my job. I want to equate the emotional memory of Atin in this case, with my own. That is something of an internal process. But what I believe in does not matter here. The character's belief is of utmost importance to me.' Anirban has worked with Parambrata Chattopadhyay as a co-actor before, but this is the first time that he is being directed by him. What is the change? How is Parambrata as a director? Anirban instantly replies, 'Fantastic. Very sorted, extremely disciplined. He is a treat to work with as an actor. He makes the set so comfortable, so when an actor tries to do some sort of improvisation… speaking from my own experience, if I try to see the character a little differently than what he has perceived, he considers that with a lot of time and care. He enables that discussion, acknowledges it and then arrives at a decision. This artistic comfort is so extremely important. There is a certain sense of dignity, in the collaboration between an actor and a director, with the crew and technicians… that is in abundance in Param da's set. It is one of the finest set in our industry.' There is a certain reserve in him when he talks about his process as an actor, but he admits that he always tries to take on parts that surprise him first. Perhaps then, it will surprise the audience too. 'I have always wanted that with my career as an actor. With the parts I have taken on as an actor over the years, like a Bullet Singh in Bibaho Obhijaan, or a Khokha in Dwitiyo Purush, Nikhilesh in Ghawre Bairey Aaj… and so many more, I have always wanted to do different parts with these characters. In that sense, Bhog was an incredible offer as an actor,' he says. What is his process like? Is he able to disconnect after the shoot gets over, or have there been instances when a character took time to let go? Anirban pauses for a while. He then adds, 'It does happen with some parts. The strain becomes physical sometimes. Sometimes it is more of a mental impact. Sometimes it is a sudden sense of grief. But that is okay, and as a professional and work under a lot of constraints. It has become a part of the livelihood now, I feel. That we take on a part, and we are also able to snap out of it. I won't endorse it as a switch-on, switch-off effect, but after a while, one is prepared.' He concludes with a pragmatic, implicit smile, 'I feel that the context here is different. The stories we hear- of Hollywood and European films, and the dry method that the actors use to get into a role and the time that one is allowed to take. We are not working from the same privileged setup. We work as labourers. We know this shot is today when we reach the set in the morning, that these are the 7 scenes… that is how we work!' Bhog premieres on Hoichoi on May 1.
