Srabanti Bhattacharya

At midnight on his 10th birthday, a boy scours the lesser-known Kolkata streets in search of a father he’s never met, carrying a letter he can’t read.

In the ancient land of Tripura, a king, a queen, and a priest rule over a kingdom steeped in superstition. The people believe the prosperity of the land depends on the blessings of the fierce Goddess Kali. If the Goddess is angered, it is said, destruction will follow. The queen, childless and desperate, clings to this belief. Convinced that a grand animal sacrifice will earn the Goddess's favour and grant her fertility, she turns to the priest for divine intervention. Together, they prepare a lavish ritual that will spill innocent blood. But the king, disturbed by the brutality of such traditions, declares a ban on animal sacrifice throughout his realm. A battle ensues: the queen and the priest defend the sacrifice as sacred duty, while the king sees it as inhumane violence.

In the ancient land of Tripura, a king, a queen, and a priest rule over a kingdom steeped in superstition. The people believe the prosperity of the land depends on the blessings of the fierce Goddess Kali. If the Goddess is angered, it is said, destruction will follow. The queen, childless and desperate, clings to this belief. Convinced that a grand animal sacrifice will earn the Goddess's favour and grant her fertility, she turns to the priest for divine intervention. Together, they prepare a lavish ritual that will spill innocent blood. But the king, disturbed by the brutality of such traditions, declares a ban on animal sacrifice throughout his realm. A battle ensues: the queen and the priest defend the sacrifice as sacred duty, while the king sees it as inhumane violence.