Tantra Trade Thrives in Books and Cinema at KLF 2025

🖊️Roopsa Ganguly

The third session of the second day at the Kolkata Literature Festival (KLF) 2025, held in association with Mirchi, explored the enigmatic world of Tantra and its presence in literature and cinema. Titled ‘তন্ত্রের বাণিজ্য করণ সিনেমায় ও সাহিত্যে’ (The Business of Superstitious Horror Genre in Books and Cinema), the panel discussed the genre’s growing popularity and its influence on modern storytelling.

The session featured actor-director Parambrata Chattopadhyay, IIT-IIM alumnus and author Avik Sarkar, voice artist and journalist Ranadip Nandy, senior journalist Trinankur Banerjee of Anandabazar Patrika, and digital creator RJ Ayantika. The discussion was moderated by Agnijit Sen, a popular radio jockey associated with Radio Mirchi, known for his storytelling initiative Sunday Suspense.

Agnijit Sen presented the overwhelming statistics of Sunday Suspense, highlighting how the adaptation of Taranath Tantrik, a supernatural classic, has gained 63 million views and 33 million watch hours over the past decade. Trinankur Banerjee, grandson of the legendary writer Bibhutibhushan Bandopadhyay, spoke about his father Taradas Banerjee, the creator of Taranath Tantrik, and shared humorous anecdotes about his storytelling journey. “My father had an uncanny ability to blend supernatural elements with realism,” Banerjee recalled. “He always said that true horror lies in the mind, not in the shadows.”

Parambrata Chattopadhyay reminisced about his unconventional upbringing in a progressive household where Bauls and Fakirs played an integral role. This exposure, he noted, laid the foundation for his curiosity about Tantra. “While learning about Bauls and Fakirs, I realized the deep cultural significance of Tantra,” he said. He recounted how, during a shoot in Nepal, he discovered audiobooks, particularly ‘Bhog’ by Avik Sarkar, which inspired him to explore supernatural storytelling in cinema. “Listening to ‘Bhog’ was an eye-opener,” he added. “It made me realize the untapped potential of cinematic supernatural narratives.”

Avik Sarkar’s ‘Bhog’ has gained 6.5 million views on YouTube, standing alongside the legendary Feluda audio series from Sunday Suspense. RJ Ayantika, a voice artist and content creator, shared her process of crafting distinctive characters for horror audiobooks, stating that she devised different laughs for each role and took inspiration from pets she grew up with.

Bringing the session to a close, Agnijit Sen humorously connected Tantra’s mystique to the upcoming Valentine’s Day, suggesting that love, like Tantra, holds secrets waiting to be unraveled. The session reinforced the commercial success of the supernatural genre and highlighted its deep cultural roots, proving that the fascination with Tantra in literature and cinema continues to thrive.