Fantasy to media-induced hallucination: The journey (or the lack thereof) of science fiction in Bengali cinema

The article delves into the recesses of an almost non-existent genre in Bengali cinema; that of the modern science fiction (SF). It proposes that the SF imagination in Bengali cinema is driven by the mode of fantasy and is an example of an alternative modernity which celebrates the technological aspirations of the community along with the indigenous cultural elements of Bengal. The template of fantasy also changes over time from magic to media-induced hallucinations to trace the contemporary techno-media culture, addressing the desires of a media savvy and image-addicted society.