California Pictures Boards World Sales On Bengali Gothic Horror ‘The Undying’ — AFM

EXCLUSIVE: California Pictures has boarded worldwide sales on The Undying, a Bengali-language gothic horror from Los Angeles-based AK Studios, and will introduce the completed film to buyers at the American Film Market. Adapted from a short story by Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore, The Undying is set in 19th-century rural Bengal and follows Kadambini, a young widow who is pronounced dead and laid out for cremation, only to wake and return to her village where everyone refuses to believe she is alive. AK Studios describes the project as “a slow-burn film built on atmosphere, ritual and dread, pairing literary pedigree with a South Asian period world aimed at the global genre audience.” The Undying is written, directed and edited by Samman Roy, who previously made folk horror The Exile for AK Studios. Sree Bhattacharyya and Arpita De head the cast. The film is produced by Awadhesh Kumar, founder of AK Studios and former Global Head of Distribution at India’s National Film Development Corporation (NFDC). Watch on Deadline Mona Singh, Sumitra Kumari and Nina Kim serve as co-producers, with Steven Istock, Isaac Bess and Laura Cunningham as executive producers. The India-U.S. production joins AK Studios’ South Asian slate alongside Nirvana Inn director Vijay Jayapal’s absurdist political comedy An Idiot. “The Undying has received tremendous love from industry peers across both sides of the Atlantic,” said Kumar. “California Pictures, with its presence at every major film market and buyer relationships built over two decades, will drive a strong release across multiple geographies. I am excited about our partnership with Steven and his leadership team. A home-grown Indian film, hand-crafted by Samman Roy, matched with world-class international distribution.” Steven Istock, President and CEO of California Pictures, said: “The Undying is exactly the kind of intellectual, distinctive genre film that has worldwide appeal, an eerie period horror that keeps you hooked. “We will tease the film at the American Film Market, give it its official debut at the European Film Market in Berlin, and screen it at the Cannes Film Market in May.” Previous titles from California Pictures include A Warrior’s Heart with Kellan Lutz, Ashley Greene and Gabriel Anwar; Scavengers with Sean Patrick Flanery; Filth with James McAvoy, Imogen Poots and Jim Broadbent; and the upcoming western End Of The Santa Fe Trail with Scott Michael Campbell (Shameless) and Forrie Smith (Yellowstone).