Mumbai, Dec 28 (IANS) The upcoming film ‘Baida’ has booked its release. The film is set to release in the theatres in early 2025. The supernatural thriller is set in the backdrop of India’s Hindi heartland.

It is helmed by Sudhanshu Rai and Puneet Sharma, and stars Sourabh Raaj Jain, Hiten Tejwani and Tarun Khanna.

Sharing a glimpse of what to expect this time, Sudhanshu Rai said, “Taking forward our signature of story being the king, ‘Baida’ is a wholesome entertainer, an intriguing tale of unexpected twists, turns and some larger-than-life characters that will keep the audience glued to the screen. It was the constant encouragement from my fans and followers to convert my stories into films that prompted me to make my acting and directorial debut with ‘Chaipatti’, and with ‘Baida’, the universe of unheard & unimaginable stories is just set to get bigger”.

For the first time, the genre of sci-fi & time travel is weaved in a story based in the Hindi heartland, which usually sets the premise of rom-coms and political dramas. The film is majorly shot near Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh. Bhojpuri, the dialect most prevalent in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, has also been featured prominently in the film.

Puneet Sharma said, “The Indian film audience is increasingly embracing stories based on out-of-the-box concepts and unique storylines. When we released Chaipatti, it was an instant hit across all platforms, including YouTube and OTTs, and later it organically crossed 1 million views, with innumerable encouraging comments asking for its sequel. We are sure that BAIDA will be loved by the theatre audiences, who always crave for fresh and novel content”.

The makers of the film had earlier revealed that local artisans and sculptors from around Gorakhpur were inducted in the Arts Department of the film as well to ensure a genuine representation of the region. Some portions of the film have also been shot in Delhi. The story of the film revolves around an assassin, who is on to taking an altogether different path in life. It is a series of events that unfolds with him, and some larger-than-life characters he encounters, that form the core of the enthralling sci-fi supernatural thriller film.