Katukutu Buro may seem like a contemporary Bengali superhero movie, but a little scratch beneath the surface reveals its deep connotations of current societal issues. For Ujaan Ganguly, who was previously seen in films like Rosogolla and Lokkhi Chhele as an actor, choosing a subject like this for his debut as a feature filmmaker is not surprising. He has already learnt the ropes of direction while making the anime series Kurukshetra last year. The film will also feature singer-turned-actor Rapurna Bhattacharyya making her onscreen debut.
We catch up with the leads, Ujaan and Rapurna, to discuss the movie, its creative process, their characters, and what makes Katukutu Buro distinct in its approach. Excerpts:
Most Bengali projects fall under detective, thriller, drama or supernatural genres. How did you develop the idea of Bengal’s own superhero?
Ujaan: Detective films are being made because people really want to watch them. The culture of films we see is, in most cases, strategically planned and implemented. Just as those movies are necessary, I believe other kinds of films are necessary too. We often say that it is not just another superhero movie. Beyond simply projecting a superhero on screen, I believe it is a story that I wanted to tell, rather than just a genre that I wanted to explore.
Rapurna, tell us about your big debut as an actor
It happened suddenly. I was at a show when I got a call for the movie. Back then, I was not really looking to act in a film. But I have been told by a couple of other directors that, “You should act because you are expressive enough to act.” I did a workshop with Daminee Benny Basu, and right after that, I got a call from the team. I was in two minds about doing it. But when I read about the character and the story, I agreed to audition and landed the role.
How would you introduce Kedar and Paromita to the audience?
Rapurna: She is a girl next door, but not a typical Bengali female character usually seen in movies. She has a layered personality that needs to be understood. She is a sweet girl who loves to crack lame jokes. She is a lot like me.
Ujaan: Kedar and Paromita’s connection is metaphorically deeper than many connections that we see. It’s built on survival, mutual trust, and dependence, which are values that we must keep on retaining in our relationships.
Having done an animation feature first and then a feature film, how unique is your career trajectory?
Ujaan: Clustering it under one umbrella term, it’s storytelling. I started on board as a writer first. I had let myself get exposed to a lot of animation. I am also attached to the medium because I used to draw cartoons in school magazines and take art classes. That helped me understand the aesthetics of animation. That’s why it feels quite natural that I took on an animation project as my first directorial project.
How was it working with an illustrious cast, including Churni Ganguly, Anujoy Chattopadhyay, and Rahul Banerjee?
Ujaan: When working with your mother, you are always alert, perhaps slightly more than usual. It’s almost like giving an exam when she’s on set. You are always hyper-aware that you are looking like a director, or whether Ma sees me on the floor and thinks that I’m doing a good job. But having acted with her in Lokkhi Chhele, this was slightly easier.
Rapurna: I have seen her work for as long as I can remember. I had the good fortune of watching her act up close in this movie. She was so phenomenal that I was literally behind the camera, in front of the monitor, watching and admiring her. This is one of those characters that showcases her wholesomeness as an actor. Anujoy is another brilliant actor. If you look at the trailer, you may agree that his character here is different from what we have seen him play so far.
Ujaan: Rahul had a nuanced and difficult role to play. Whenever his scenes come up while editing or during previews, they are a little hard hitting. I would talk about him only as much as he would have wanted us to if he were with us today. It was a pleasure to work with him as an artiste. The kind of humour and wit he brought to the set was undervalued, and that sometimes surpasses the value of an individual as an actor. He has outshone everybody.
Katukutu Buro is a unique name for a superhero movie...
Ujaan: We have received comments and feedback on the name, with people saying that it doesn’t go with the dash-man formulation for superhero movies. We have also received witty comments like, “Why not name it Begun Man?” (Purple Man), because of the costume. While we enjoyed these comments, it was a deliberate decision to name it Katukutu Buro. It’s not a silly name. It’s a direct reference to Sukumar Ray’s poem Katukutu Buro. It’s a nonsense verse with a possible subtext. Here, it opens up a lot of conversations regarding societal issues that we have long ignored or probably not processed in a healthy manner. That is why the movie has become a conversation opener about good touch and bad touch.
How do you juggle between Ujaan as an actor and Ujaan as a director when you play both roles here?
Ujaan: One role that ties it all together is the writing. If I am writing the characters, it becomes easier for me as an actor to quickly access certain emotions or expectations I would have of my actor if a different actor were playing that role. This shift in access was something that helped me a lot. On the floor, when I wasn’t acting but directing, I was slightly more at ease. But I’m not saying that acting is stressful either. Moreover, this is Rapurna’s debut, but I have learnt a lot from her. The carefree manner in which she can enter a scene was not the same for me because there were other things on my mind. I have learnt from her how to embrace a role with a free mind and leave the worries of the set behind.
Rapurna, what did you discover about yourself during this journey that surprised you?
When I am singing, I have my voice and instruments. But as an actor, you are everything you need. When I am working with so many talented actors, I learn on the go. I am an introvert and get nervous easily. I had my fair share of inhibitions when I started acting. But while essaying Paromita, I had to get over them.
How do you draw Gen Z and millennials back to the big screen?
Ujaan: It’s not impossible. If we look globally, it’s not about big budgets or grand visuals. It’s all about storytelling. We recently got the opportunity to watch Obsession, which isn’t a very big-budget movie. But it has been able to pull audiences to the theatres. Many audiences subconsciously decide to watch certain movies in theatres because of their appeal. But these are all speculative and theoretical questions that we are not thinking about right now.
Is this the stepping stone to a Bengali superhero universe?
Ujaan: Everything is happening step by step. It depends on a lot of things. But right now, we are not thinking about a universe. We are thinking about a single hero, Katukutu Buro, and letting him shine.
Katukutu Buro hits theatres today.
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