'Pett Kata Shaw' review: Ghostly anthology rooted in folk culture breaks new ground
Nuhash Humayun’s Bangladeshi film explores the horror genre and has evolved from being a web series to becoming a solid anthology of four stories
By Asjad NazirNov 01, 2023
WITH his award-winning short film Moshari, Nuhash Humayun announced himself as a writer-director from Bangladesh to look out for.
That has been confirmed with his feature debut Pett Kata Shaw, which had its UK premiere at the recent Raindance Film Festival in London. Like Moshari, his Bangla feature film too explores the horror genre and has evolved from being a web series to becoming a solid anthology of four stories.
The first revolves around a forgetful shop owner, who is visited by a sweettoothed ghost and given a memorable gift that turns into a curse. There is also the story of a demonic fish-loving entity, who invades a young man’s residence and another about a couple, who get stranded in a village that is the source of superstitions. The gripping collection of short films is rounded off by the story of a guilt-ridden man, coming to terms with a tragedy, who is drawn towards a ghostly presence in the ocean.
The clearly skilled filmmaker offers up four gripping short films and weaves them together into haunting tales rooted in local culture. The beautifully shot stories, which could all quite easily have been feature films, offer contrasting styles of ghostly tales that keep you fully engaged.
The atmospheric offerings take a dive into the horror genre without the usual jump scares, which makes them more accessible and enables for extra layers to be added. This includes a great insight into myths rooted in the local landscape that audiences in the west haven’t been exposed to before. There are great performances from the entire cast in all the stories and inventive moments like one section of a story being told through puppets. Overall, Pett Kata Shaw is one of the finest south Asian films of this year and sets up talented writer-director Nuhash Humayun for a huge career ahead.
Perry's onstage quip about "Englishmen" felt like a deliberate signal.
Those yacht photos are, frankly, undeniable.
It started with a Montreal dinner most people missed.
Both are out of long-term relationships.
Well, she’s as good as confirmed it, hasn’t she? Katy Perry just tossed a verbal grenade into her London concert, and the pieces all point to Justin Trudeau. That line about Englishmen? You do not say that by accident. It lands just days after those, let's face it, pretty steamy pictures of them surfaced on her boat. This Katy Perry and Justin Trudeau thing is suddenly feeling very real, shifting from rumours to a full-blown celebrity romance.
Katy Perry’s stage moment sparks worldwide fan theories about a secret romance Getty Images
So what did she actually say?
Mid-show at the O2, looking out at the crowd, she hits them with this: "London, England, you’re like this on a Monday night?... No wonder I fall for Englishmen all the time."
Pause.
Then came the kicker: "...but not anymore." The place erupts. It was too specific, too perfectly timed. And then, almost as if scripted, some fan proposes to her. Her comeback was: "I wish you’d asked me 48 hours ago." What is that, if not a nod to a new, serious someone?
Let’s talk about the yacht. The Daily Mail got those shots and, while grainy, the story they tell is crystal clear. The photos were taken off the coast of Santa Barbara, on her 78-foot Caravelle. He is pulling her in, kissing her cheek. His hand was on her backside in another frame. This follows that low-key Montreal dinner in July that almost flew under the radar.
— (@)
Where does this leave everyone?
Right, let us look at the context. Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom only finalised their split recently, with the co-parenting news coming out in July. Justin Trudeau’s marriage to Sophie Grégoire also ended last year. Both are prominent figures with busy lives who have only just become single. Sources are already saying he has been "persistent," flying to see her on tour breaks. It has the feel of something that is accelerating fast. And Perry, with that London comment, seems ready to let it.
By clicking the 'Subscribe’, you agree to receive our newsletter, marketing communications and industry
partners/sponsors sharing promotional product information via email and print communication from Garavi Gujarat
Publications Ltd and subsidiaries. You have the right to withdraw your consent at any time by clicking the
unsubscribe link in our emails. We will use your email address to personalize our communications and send you
relevant offers. Your data will be stored up to 30 days after unsubscribing.
Contact us at data@amg.biz to see how we manage and store your data.