Tenzin Dalha has been unveiled as the male lead of the Bengali-language thriller “Chheledhora,” starring opposite Swastika Mukherjee in the Indo-American production from Sita22 Films.
The casting reveal arrives while Dalha is at the Toronto Film Festival with Jennifer Peedom’s Apple original film “Tenzing.” When “Chheledhora” was first announced earlier this year, producers disclosed Mukherjee’s involvement but kept Dalha’s role under wraps.
“Tenzing,” presented as a gala selection at TIFF, stars Genden Phuntsok as legendary mountaineer Tenzing Norgay, with Tom Hiddleston, Willem Dafoe and Caitríona Balfe also among the cast. The film begins a limited theatrical run on Oct. 9, followed by global streaming on Apple TV on Oct. 16.
Inside “Chheledhora”
Written and directed by Shieladitya Moulik, whose credits include “Sweater” and “Surjo,” “Chheledhora” is built around a provocative act by a parent that spirals into something far more dangerous.
Mukherjee plays Brishti, a divorced mother who “steals” her own daughter for a birthday outing. The situation turns into a genuine abduction, pulling a group of deeply flawed adults and their children into an erratic journey through Northeast India. As the story unfolds, the youngest characters gradually become the moral compass for the adults around them.
The film was shot extensively in Arunachal Pradesh’s Ziro Valley and blends family drama, thriller elements and dark humor with the cultural texture of India’s Northeast. “Chheledhora” is currently in post-production.
Ann Mukherjee, founder of Sita22 Films and producer of the film, said the timing of Dalha’s reveal was deliberate.
“We made a very conscious decision not to announce Tenzin when we first revealed ‘Chheledhora,’” she said. “We knew he had this extraordinary international moment ahead of him with ‘Tenzing,’ and TIFF felt like exactly the right time for audiences to discover another side of him. Tenzin possesses a quiet emotional intelligence and restraint that makes him a fascinating counterpoint to Swastika’s tremendous emotional force. Their chemistry is central to the film.”
Mukherjee also framed the project as both a physical and emotional journey into India’s Northeast. “We want to tell stories that are deeply rooted in India but aren’t constrained by conventional ideas of language, geography or identity,” she said.
Dalha on the Role
Dalha said it felt “particularly special” to be speaking about “Chheledhora” while attending the festival for “Tenzing,” noting that the two projects are distinct but connected by emotional stakes.
“They are completely different films, yet rooted in human grit, empathy, the lengths to which humans are capable of going for people they love,” Dalha said.
The actor said Moulik’s writing was a key attraction. “What drew me to ‘Chheledhora’ was Shieladitya’s writing. His understanding of humans as imperfect complex beings and looking at life beyond the dichotomy of individuals as good or bad. He wrote these beautiful broken young adult characters making questionable choices for their loved ones.”
Dalha also praised Mukherjee, calling her “a force of nature in frame and a force of joy on set.” He added that the locations helped define the film’s mood: “Shooting in Ziro and Arunachal Pradesh provided the perfect backdrop for a thriller, and the weather set the tone right for the ambience.”
“Chheledhora” is produced by Ann Mukherjee for Sita22 Films. Jitin Hingorani serves as co-producer and creative producer, Dhanraj Sawant is executive producer, and Priyangi Borthakur is supervising producer. Italian cinematographer Vincenzo Condorelli shot the film.
Hingorani, who also heads content and development at Sita22 Films, said the creative team did not approach the Northeast simply as a backdrop.
“The idea was never to make a Bengali film that simply happens to travel to the Northeast,” Hingorani said. “The journey changes these characters, and the Northeast becomes part of the film’s emotional language. Pairing Swastika and Tenzin gives us two performers coming from very different cinematic and cultural energies, and that tension is part of what makes the film so exciting. At Sita22, our mandate is to find stories that can be hyper-local and super-global at the same time, and ‘Chheledhora’ embodies that philosophy beautifully.”
With Dalha’s role now public, “Chheledhora” moves forward in post-production as “Tenzing” prepares for its October rollout in theaters and on Apple TV.