Some films are born legends. Others become myths even before they’re released. But then there’s “Mrigaya: The Hunt” — a film that walked into the forest and never fully came back.
Premise
Announced in early 2024, Mrigaya: The Hunt was positioned as a neo-noir survival thriller set in the misty jungles of Odisha. The plot? A disgraced wildlife officer teams up with a tribal tracker to investigate a series of ritualistic killings blamed on a mysterious predator. The deeper they go, the more they realize — the real hunt is not for the beast, but for truth, trauma, and power.
It promised a heady blend of folklore, politics, and psychological horror — something that hadn’t quite been attempted in Indian cinema since Tumbbad (2018). The teaser poster alone — a silhouette of a tiger and man overlapping in blood-red hues — had cinephiles hooked.
Cast and Crew: A Powerful Line-up
The cast announcement in August 2024 raised eyebrows in the best way:
Rajkummar Rao as Forest Officer Raghav Dev — a man haunted by his past and hunted by his conscience.
Radhika Apte as anthropologist Dr. Ira Sen, researching tribal mythologies that may be more real than legend.
Adil Hussain as a local politician with shadowy ties to illegal hunting and land encroachments.
Manoj Bajpayee (rumored cameo) as the mysterious narrator guiding the story from off-screen.
- Directed by Srijit Mukherji, the National Award-winning filmmaker known for Autograph and Sherdil, the film was backed by a joint production between RSVP Movies and a boutique indie studio called Bloodroot Films.
So What Went Wrong? Was It Cancelled?
Here’s where the mystery begins.
After a cryptic teaser drop in December 2024 and an early 2025 release target (tentatively April 25, 2025), the film went completely silent. Social media pages stopped updating. Cast members avoided questions. And Bloodroot Films — the indie partner — quietly took down their website in March 2025.
Was it creative differences? Budget collapse? Legal trouble?
Multiple sources inside the industry suggest that the film encountered two major obstacles:
- A controversy over indigenous representation: Tribal rights groups reportedly objected to certain elements of the screenplay, which allegedly depicted ritual practices in a sensationalist way. While Srijit Mukherji has a history of sensitive storytelling, some early cuts didn’t pass the litmus test with cultural consultants brought in later.
- Production delays due to real-world forest restrictions: The majority of the film was to be shot in protected tiger reserves in Simlipal and Satkosia. New wildlife filming regulations passed in late 2024 made it nearly impossible to proceed without costly environmental assessments.
According to an anonymous crew member, “We had a beautiful story and a committed cast. But the jungle had other plans. Nature doesn’t wait for camera setups.”
Current Status: Shelved or Still Alive?
As of June 10, 2025, Mrigaya: The Hunt has not been officially cancelled, but industry insiders say it has been “indefinitely postponed.” Sources close to RSVP confirm the footage remains in post-production limbo, and there are whispers of a limited OTT release in late late June 2025 — possibly via Netflix or MUBI.
However, no new trailers, promotions, or cast interviews have emerged since February 2025.
Why This Matters
Indian cinema is slowly warming up to ecological thrillers, indigenous narratives, and genre-blending storytelling. Films like Kantara cracked that code by involving local voices from day one. Mrigaya could have been the next step in that evolution — if it survives its own shadow.
For now, Mrigaya: The Hunt remains like the beast it was based on — heard of but rarely seen. Its myth grows larger with every silence.
Will We Ever See It?
If Mrigaya does make its way to an OTT release, it might arrive quietly — just like the whisper of a predator in the trees. If not, it may be remembered as one of those cinematic what-ifs that almost changed the game.
And maybe, just maybe, that’s part of its haunting genius.
Release date
Mrigaya: The Hunt is officially scheduled for theatrical release in India on June 27, 2025.
What This Means for You
Mark your calendars: Get ready to catch the film in Bengali-language cinemas starting Friday, June 27.
Expect screenings in major West Bengal cities: Kolkata, Howrah, Bidhannagar, and more.
No OTT release yet: Streaming availability has not been announced—stay tuned.
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