We have seen his powerful performances on screen in a range of remarkable projects—transforming seamlessly into characters like SI Moloy in “Mohanagar”, Amlan in “Kaiser”, and Rana in “Gulmohor”, nailing each role with striking conviction. This time, however, Mostafizur Noor Imran steps behind the camera, embracing a new creative challenge. The acclaimed actor is set to make his directorial debut with the Chorki original film “Djinner Bachcha”.

The Daily Star reached out to the artiste to learn more about his journey from actor to director, the challenges of helming his first project, and what audiences can expect from this much-anticipated venture.

The cast features Mousumi Hamid and Azad Abul Kalam as central characters alongside Sarker Raunak Ripon, Anowarul Haque, Adrijeet Mondol, Ribon Khandaker, Rajib Hossain and Shakkhar Kundu Dip. While Shakkhar and Rajib handled the story and screenplay, respectively.

Billed as a Chorki exclusive, the film’s story revolves around a voiceless mother whose longing for motherhood remains unfulfilled, until one day a jinn’s child enters her life. It promises a chilling story built around an unsettling question: why does a jinn’s child appear inside a human household? 

“The concept of "Djinner Bachcha” had been on my mind for a long time, and I am also planning on making a Jinn-Insaan (Jinn-Human) universe, and this project marks the beginning of that journey,” shared Imran. 

“I’ve always been drawn to mythical horror, perhaps even more so because people jokingly call me ‘jinn’. At its heart, the story says that whether in motherhood or any other realm, the language is the same — motherhood is motherhood. I wanted to tell a horror story, but one where, while watching it, the audience might uncover another kind of horror they never imagined. From that idea came the story of a jinn’s child — and if there is a child, there must be a mother. So, this is the story of both the child and the mother, and what happens after the child arrives.”
In the past, horror content in Bangladesh often felt rather flimsy or unintentionally comical in our context. Horror isn’t only about technical execution; it’s also about storytelling and presentation. Until there was Nuhash Humayun’s “Pett Kata Shaw”, and its spin-off “Dui Shaw”, which created a landmark in Bangladesh’s OTT content for the horror genre. 

“The biggest challenge that I faced while creating this project was that I had to be extra cautious so that the content wouldn’t become a comedy. I’m attempting what may be termed mythical horror, though perhaps it could also be described as social horror. Whether that works is for the audience to decide.”

He mentioned that there’s a famous line in “Apocalypse Now” about “real horror” — what true horror really is. “In our region, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, we have a rich tradition of mythical horror stories. Even now, when I visit villages, I hear tales about jinn in gardens, about possession, about strange happenings. These stories carry layers.”

He adds, “The challenge lies in telling a horror story on the surface while, beneath it, narrating a realistic story. Ensuring it doesn’t become comedic and that the underlying layer is communicated properly, those were my main challenges.”

Remarking on the lead role Imran shared, “Mousumi Hamid had long been someone I wanted to work with. I once made a production I never released because I wasn’t satisfied, and she was part of that. So, when I began developing this story involving a jinn, she was the first person who came to mind — especially since the role required someone who could swim. Beyond that, she’s an exceptional actress. I’ve often felt that strong female characters in our industry aren’t written well, and opportunities tend to favour popularity over performance. I felt a responsibility to cast someone recognised for her craft. She auditioned alongside others, and she was simply the best.”

He further continued, “As for choosing a woman-centric story for my directorial debut, I believe we often view women through a patriarchal lens. Even when writing, most writers are men, and that perspective influences the narrative. After audiences watch “Djinner Bachcha”, we can have a deeper conversation about how the female self is portrayed here — analysing specific scenes, metaphors, visuals and audio-visual language. I chose this path because such stories are rarely told. Women are often reduced to decorative or supporting roles. Yet without women, creation — neither beginning nor end — is possible. That belief informed this work.”

Regarding building a universe, he intends to direct the first few projects within the jinn–human universe himself. Later projects may involve associate directors, as he shared. “At Methodica, we aim to nurture writers, actors, and directors through practice-based learning. We aim to build both good stories and teams.”

Set to be released on February 19 (Thursday), the project is produced under the banner of Methodica Creation in association with Master Communications.