Bassbaba Sumon and Shakib Chowdhury to pen Raihan Rafi’s upcoming horror film ‘Andhar’

Two musicians with a shared fascination for horror—Saidus Salehin Sumon of Arthohin and Shakib Chowdhury of Cryptic Fate—are set to bring their eerie imaginations to the big screen. Longtime friends, the duo have watched countless horror films together and travelled across the country in search of spine-chilling stories. Along with their friend Jibran, they once created the radio show "Bhoutist" from these experiences. Now, Shakib and Sumon's story is being adapted into a horror film titled "Andhar", to be directed by Raihan Rafi.

The story of "Andhar" has been co-written by Sumon, Shakib, and Adnan Adib Khan, with the screenplay and dialogue penned by Shakib and Adnan. According to Shakib, the film's journey began during the making of "Bhoutist". "This is a dream project for Sumon bhai and me. It originated while we were working on the radio show, where we would share our strange, supernatural, and extraordinary encounters. That's when this story came to me. We had planned to turn it into a film, but it was delayed when Sumon bhai fell ill. Now, it has come back to life," Shakib said.

While refraining from revealing plot details, Shakib confirmed that the story is rooted in a Bangladeshi setting. "I wrote the main story with Adnan Adib Khan, while about 20 percent of it comes from Sumon bhai. We don't want to follow the Western style of horror, which often lacks emotion. We want to create a horror film that reflects Bangladesh—blending horror, mystery, thriller, murder, and emotion. The characters will feel familiar to us, but the production quality will meet international standards," he explained.

Speaking on venturing from music into filmmaking, Shakib said, "The Bangladeshi film industry is doing remarkable work now. The kind of project we want to make is possible today, which wasn't the case five or six years ago. The changing landscape of the industry has given us courage. 'Andhar' is a bold project, and no film in this genre has been made in Bangladesh before."

Produced under the banner of 221B Production, "Andhar" will be backed by Shakib, Adnan, and Sarah Ali. The cast will be announced soon, with filming scheduled to begin next month.