Samik Roy Choudhury reveals the deeply personal story behind his new film Maya Satya Bhram
Samik Roy Choudhury was bitten by the filmmaking bug at a very tender age after watching movies like Hirak Rajar Deshe and Titanic. After years of experience in the world of VFX, where the scripts he worked on taught him how to write films, he made his first feature, Beline, in 2024. Now the soft-spoken director is back with his second film, Maya Satya Bhram, which takes you into the mysterious and esoteric world of a clairvoyant as a toddler goes missing. Excerpts from a chat with Samik.
What’s the idea behind Maya Satya Bhram?
For directors like me, who write and make their own films, filmmaking also refelcts their personal experiences. Like my first film, Beline, where the three characters had a few traits of mine, this film too has imprints of different incidents from my life. One such incident is so deeply personal that my wife refused to talk to me for more than a week after watching Maya Satya Bhram.
What kind of stories entice you?
I like anything that explores the various facets of human psychology. It entices me to no end. I also love eccentric stories and plots that go beyond well-balanced plots. I love bringing out in my films the very emotions and stories people feel uncomfortable talking about openly. I want to bring those emotions out through my stories. I want to explore the extremes rather than balancing the storylines. Each one of us suffers from psychological disorders and we know how to hide them well. I love unmasking those emotions in my films.
How was it working with Priyanka and Soham?
Priyanka is a very powerful actress. She is extremely skillful and pretty and there’s a vulnerability about her that I explored in this film where she played a mother searching for her missing toddler.
Soham has immense passion for making a good film and when he listened to my film’s story, he got totally invested in it. He has so much sincerity and he also looked every bit the part of a father.