'The Dark Secrets of Tonhi': Realistic Film on Murder of Black Magic Women to Release in April

A film titled "The Dark Secrets of Tonhi", which deals with murder of women on the pretext of being a 'Tonhi' (black magic woman), is set to release in India on 18 April.

The film will be released at a time when India is hit by several instances of rape and murder, the most notable being the brutal Delhi gang-rape and murder of 23-year-old medical student that triggered mass protests across the country last December.

Directed by Shiraz Henry and produced by Rebecca Alemla Changkija and Ajay Najat under Find Studioz banner, "The Dark Secrets of Tonhi" is a realistic film based on superstitious beliefs of some village people in Chhattisgarh state. It brings to light the murder of innocent women on the pretext of being a 'Tonhi' (black magic woman).

Henry, who is from Chhattisgarh, came up with the idea to show the world about the dark side of black magic in India. The state government has banned the practice of Tonhi to stop violence against women, but instances of murder still take place.

The promos of the film have been released and there is a scene where the black magic woman is naked. The makers of the film admitted that there are two nude scenes, but they are optimistic that the censor board won't find them to be an issue as the actress wears a necklace that covers part of her twin assets in the scenes.

"We would like the censor board to pass the scenes as it is, since the script of the movie demands it. When they (censor board) cleared such scenes in movies like "Fire" and "Bandit Queen", there is no reason to censor the scenes in "The Dark Secrets of Tonhi", which is based on real life incident," said producer Rebecca Alemla Changkija.

The film features Natasha Sikka, J.Brandon Hill, Alex Peters, Smita Siah and Priyanka Joshi in the lead roles. It is scheduled for release across India on 18 April. The makers of the film are also planning to come out with the sequel of the film.