Kalpavigyan: A Speculative Journey

What is Bangla kalpavigyan? Is there such a thing as Bangla Science Fiction? Is there such a thing as Indian SF? This is our journey with the genre, captured and presented like never before in film. Beginning with the early work of writers such as Rokeya Sakhawat Hussain (Begum Rokeya) and the speculative mode in Bengal, and ending with the pioneering webzine Kalpabiswa, the film traces the historical arc of kalpavigyan over a century of the genre. From the genre magazines of the 1960s-80s and the writers and editors who ignited the movement by giving it shape and form, the film presents a series of conversations and critical reflections from researchers and scholars who have worked with the genre both in relation to Bengal and kalpavigyan as well as the wider phenomenon of SF.

Directed by Arunava Gangopadhyay, Kalpavigyan: A Speculative Journey leans on a strong ensemble — Barnita Bagchi, Adrish Bardhan, Sumit Bardhan — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about documentary titles of 2021.