The rampant cultivation of Indigofera tinctoria, replacing essential food crops, once marked India’s blueprint for a glorious future. While farmers were coerced during the British Raj to turn the green leaves into ‘blue gold’, it was the Rai Bahadurs of that era who ensured our history was tainted by Indigo slavery. Fast forward to 2025, fashion designer Raka Sinha (Puja Sarup) decides to open her spring-summer collection at her great-grandfather Rai Bahadur Sinha’s century-old neel kothri that now lay in ruins. Even though she claims to have a love-hate relationship with the term legacy, a smug Raka believes that her ‘visionary’ ancestors changed the destiny of as many as seven villages in the region. “Sorry for what?,” she snaps at her manager Karan (Karan Sharma), who insists that she must acknowledge and apologise for the atrocities against local indigo cultivators in the past. However, Raka’s exquisitely stitched plan to add an earthy touch to her clothing label frayed soon after an unexpected encounter with the otherworldly inhabitants of the decrepit manufacturing unit. Writer-director Amrita Bagchi’s fascinating psychological horror short Tinctoria is a scathing critique of those who thrive on hierarchy and exploitation in the name of preserving their heritage. Made under the mentorship of Vikramaditya Motwane, the 26-minute movie featured as part of Mumbai Film Festival’s 2025 ‘MAMI Select: Filmed on iPhone’ programme.
STORY: The fate of Komolkodi, Raipaada, Bishibhutia, Chaatui, Laalbedia, Rooppukur and Hukumbaadi slumped into darkness, harnessing the cultivation of a cash crop. As the in-charge of these seven villages, Rai Bahadur Sinha commanded oppressive practices that included debt bondage and forced cultivation of Indigofera tinctoria. For years, farmers slaved in shackles, while a cup hung from their neck collecting their sweat, which was then used to thicken the indigo pigment. Crumbling under the weight of a tainted past, the neel kothri is still haunted by the spirits of the tortured farmers. And Raka’s fateful return to the premise meant she must confront and admit to the wrongdoings of her great-grandfather.
But on the contrary, the sartorialist kicks off preparations for the event by throwing a tantrum. She’s quick to dismiss the haunting memories of enslavement simply as stories of a bygone era that deserved not being documented. To her, displaying her latest denim collection at a dilapidated factory that was once the hub of indigo production throws in a unique opportunity to reposition her craft as the token of an artistic and affluent lineage. As if her sense of entitlement isn’t enough, Raka also seems to be particularly inconsiderate toward those who serve her round the clock. Her assistant Sania (Devika Vatsa) is often at the receiving end of her foul temper. Things turn particularly bizarre when the fashion designer unapologetically summons the tailor’s granddaughter to hold safety pins in her mouth, as she fixes a model’s outfit. She doesn’t think twice before downing nine out of 10 drinking water cans into a defunct fountain. Here, ambience takes precedence over the basic necessities of her staff who are helping her put up a show in the middle of nowhere.
It’s amid the commotion that Raka starts experiencing sudden apparitions. She’s quick to recognise the ancestral guilt, but chooses to maintain her haughty attitude. She’s visibly shaken when the teleprompter and display board start throwing up mysterious images and numbers from the past. “Kya chahiye? Paise chahiye?,” Raka asks in a desperate yet hilarious bid to appease the spirits. But can anyone ever undo acts of cruelty just by making financial reparations to the victim? Her final display of installations at neel kothri answers that question.
REVIEW: The brilliant use of symbolism to expose India’s shameful history of indigo slavery is the short film’s biggest takeaway. By turns evocative and wistful, Tinctoria’s blue canvas has a hypnotic appeal to it. From a stream of indigo percolating through the craggy floor of the ancestral kothri and Raka’s blue eyeliner to the stifling web of blue threads and scroll of names tucked inside a bel, every imagery testifies to the thoughtfully created plot devices, complete with a gripping background score by Flavio G Cuccurullo. Sound designer Bigyna Dahal’s work also deserves a special mention here. There’s an underlying rhythm that binds together the vignettes of the past and present.
Amrita Bagchi – who is known for her brilliant performance in the Faraz Ali-directed 2021 film Shoebox – weaves a riveting supernatural narrative without strictly adhering to the elements of horror fiction. Instead, she focuses on the deafening echoes of exploitation and the fashion designer’s audacity to ignore the massacre for the sake of artistic detachment. There’s a constant call for empathy and compassion in the story, the absence of which dictates the consequences that the lead character faces. Acclaimed stage and screen actor Puja Sarup is extraordinary as Raka, especially when the past catches her off guard. Puja stunningly personifies Raka’s fears and inner turmoil. In the throes of delusion, her expressions are both petrified and comedic.
On the other hand, DOP Sunil Borkar’s inventive camerawork uplifts the film’s aesthetic excellence like no other. He has beautifully captured the moody and surreal moments of Tinctoria, faithfully reflecting its unearthly theme. Meanwhile, Khushi Arora’s costumes and Lavanshika’s make-up and prosthetics add to the overall feel and aura of the film.
VERDICT: Tinctoria mixes noir and abstract, but the story never gets lost in ambiguity. Amrita Bagchi’s ingenious and unflinching narrative brings to light a painful chapter in history about which many in this generation probably don’t even know. What’s more intriguing though is its shocking relevance in today’s world. Isn’t that almost everything we do in life revolves around profit and privilege? Be it at home or office, don’t we enjoy a sense of superiority over those whom we consider beneath us? As a social commentary, the film nudges you to rethink those little acts of oppression in everyday life. A daring and provocative piece of art, Tinctoria is every bit outstanding!
Tinctoria
Writer and director: Amrita Bagchi
Cast: Puja Sarup, Karan Sharma and Devika Vatsa
Cinematographer: Sunil Borkar
Music composer: Flavio G Cuccurullo
Sound Designer: Bigyna Dahal
Rating: 4 stars
