There are very few filmmakers in mainstream Tollywood, whose films are so eagerly awaited by the audience and director duo Nandita Roy and Shiboprosad Mukherjee have been holding the attention of the cine lovers with their engaging family sagas for over a decade, now.
After a gap of almost two and a half years, the duo is back with their much talked about film Belashuru starring the late actors Soumitra Chatterjee and Swatilekha Sengupta in the lead besides a glittering ensemble of actors.
The film has been released in packed theatres today and is being touted by the insiders as a gamechanger in this post-pandemic gloomy atmosphere, where people are more comfortable watching the choicest of content on OTT platforms. We talk to Roy and Mukherjee about the movie at their Windows office on a sultry summer afternoon, ahead of the film's release. Excerpts from the chat:
It must be a great feeling for you both that Belashuru is finally seeing the light of the day?
Shiboprosad Mukherjee: Yes, all the more so, because this is our very first release after Gotro in 2019. We were really in a lot of doubt whether at all the situation would get better and people would flock back to theatres. We were getting a lot more offers for satellite rights or digital release, but Nandita was adamant from the very onset that Belashuru is meant for the big screen and deserves nothing less than that. That this is happening is a big thing for us.
Nandita Roy: The satisfaction is great for me because we gave our word to the late actor Swatilekha Sengupta, that we would make sure Belashuru releases in theatre. That we are able to keep our words after the pandemic, really means a lot to us. Despite diverse content in the myriads of OTT platforms, the joy of watching films on the big screen is different and Belashuru is a film that’s meant to be enjoyed with family in cinema halls.
Tell us a little about the film?
Shiboprosad: First, it’s not a sequel or continuation of Belashuru (2015) though the cast and relations are the same. It’s a separate story with a different plot and hence even those who have missed out on watching Belaseshe will not find a jerk. The film’s trailer shows actor Swatilekha’s character losing partial memory and failing to recognize her husband after over half a century of marriage though she distinctly remembers her wedding day. But that’s merely a metaphor. There’s a hint of hurt therein not recognising her husband.
We were really struck by the story of a real-life couple Pabitra Chitto Nandi and Geeta Nandi, whose story had been widely publicised by the media, and took inspiration from that to conceive Belashuru.
Nandita: But Belashuru has its own course of narrative. Pabitra and Geeta were childless but in the film, Biswanath (played y Soumitra) and Arati (Swatilekha) have many children. What we always do with all our films is create films that have relatable stories with which the wider audience can connect, be it Belaseshe, Haami, Posto, Muktodhara or Gotro.
Shiboprosad: The movie is all about love and celebrates love and relationships.
Both the lead actors ironically have passed away in these two years…
Shiboprosad: They are not there physically there but we can truly feel their presence every moment.
Nandita: It’s really bad they are not there when the film is released. Both of them wanted it to release in theatres and wanted to watch it together. This regret will always be there but having said that, we really do not feel their absence when we watch the movie. It’s as if they are still very much alive through this film.
Any precious memory from the film’s shooting?
Shiboprosad: Each moment was special. We all used to have lunch together while shooting. Also, it’s a sight to see them rehearsing together before a shot. Though they had different approaches to acting methods, both of them were so disciplined and there were so many discussions to improve on a scene without a bit of argument.
Nandita: There was a sequence where Soumitra needed to comb Swatilekha’s hair and he came to me and awkwardly said: I have never even combed my wife’s hair, I am a bit nervous about how the scene would come out. While filming the sequence he combed Swatilekha’s hair gently and Swatilekha would squeak and pretend to be hurt (laughs).
What do you think is the way forward for Bengali cinema?
Shiboprosad: In 2015 Belaseshe had brought a big change in the industry in terms of business. Since that time there had been a huge churning in Tollywood which was primarily known as a remake industry. Now, there is so much incredible original content. Also, like the Malayalam industry, Tollywood too has a great audience who appreciates good stories and know and respect their filmmakers and go to the theatres for their films. Tollywood is not a star-driven industry, it’s a content-driven one. And in the last 11 years the sheer variety of content that we have produced, cannot be matched by any other regional cinema in the country.
Your upcoming directorial ventures?
Nandita: We just finished shooting for Haami2 that’s slated for December 23 release.
Any plans for web content?
Nandita: The web space has different rules of the game and right now, we want to concentrate on making cinema. Personally, I don't particularly like taking too many jobs at one time.
Belashuru is running in theatres from tomorrow