Kalpavigyan: A Speculative Journey (2021)

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. The principal focus of the film are the genre magazines of the 1960s-80s published in Kolkata and the writers and editors who ignited the movement by giving it shape and form through these magazines. The film is built around a series of conversations with these writers and their successors, and also features 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. The figure of Adrish Bardhan, the editor of the first Bangla SF magazine, 'Aschorjo', looms large over the film, as do major writers such as Satyajit Ray, Premendra Mitra, and Leela Majumdar. The film dives into the particularities of editorial decisions, political concerns, and personal histories that made the magic of Kalpavigyan happen amidst often bleak publishing realities and poverty. But it also sheds warm light on the ultimately liberating strain of speculative utopianism that shapes and continues to shape the genre as an ongoing discussion between fans, critics, and writers. The film will be of interest to all fans and scholars of Kalpavigyan and SF.