Jayabrata Das’s controversial film, The Academy of Fine Arts, which even after a massive 54 cuts, got an ‘A’ certificate, has a star-studded cast, featuring Rudranil Ghosh, Saurav Das, Paayel Sarkar, Rishav Basu, Rahul Arunoday Banerjee, Anuradha Mukherjee, Sudip Mukherjee, Amit Saha, Anindya Pulak Banerjee, Rana Basu Thakur, and Anjan Ray Chowdhury, among others. The film, which was stated for release on November 14, was stalled after unforeseen circumstances.
We spoke with actor Rudranil Ghosh to know more about his character in this Bengali pulp fiction movie ahead of the release. Excerpts:
Your character seems to be a layered one. Tell us about the same.
I play Dinobondhu, an outwardly, but very ordinary middle-aged erstwhile taxi driver, and the soft-spoken but cool-minded leader of a small criminal gang. He stays in a lower-middle-class housing quarters, and although the team operates under the guise of an NGO, they are involved in extortion, kidnapping, and murder. The character has an interesting, passionate romantic layer through his quiet affection for a divorcee neighbour named Esha, which adds depth to the narrative. The gang members also accept Esha as their would-be sister-in-law.
This is a students’ film, with almost no funding. What made you say yes to it?
I loved the script and was reasonably convinced that this wasn’t the regular film that you typically come across in the Bengali film industry. Jayabrata and his SRFTI (Satyajit Ray Film & Television Institute) team were new and showcased a lot of potential. Many seasoned actors, including me, joined the project because we believed in the script. Our remuneration honestly felt secondary. Believe it or not, I took the onus upon myself to convince all the leading actors to commit to this film. The shoot had its challenges and serious fiscal hurdles, but the dedication and sheer earnestness of the young team kept us all committed. I also worked closely with the director on script suggestions to make the emotions more relatable. This was done to ensure that we do not just create content relevant to the limited audiences of the festival circuit.
The trailer seemed to have a lot of gore and nudity. Did you still feel it would be relatable for the audience?
The film blends thriller, romance, and dark humour into a pulp-fiction tone that is quite new for Tollywood. That’s why proficient filmmakers like Srijit Mukherji and others in the industry have shown strong support to the fim after seeing the poster and trailer. The film fraternity and common audiences both loved the poster and trailer. The movie has raw violence and a crude portrayal of human cruelty, but we believe that audiences who appreciate bold storytelling will find it deeply engaging.
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