Special: Bappa's debut Hindi film Girgit has Bollywood actor Ipshita Chakraborty in a pivotal role

Dejected by the way Tollywood treats independent films, director Bappa makes his third film, Girgit, in Hindi
Bappa with actor Joy Sengupta
Bappa with actor Joy Sengupta

When filmmaker Bappa's debut film Sohorer Upokotha was released last September, amidst the pandemic and rains, he didn’t imagine it would run full-house in Nandan theatre. But he also didn’t imagine that the film, which has earned appreciation and laurels across national and global festivals, would be suddenly taken off from the theatres despite a good run for 22 days. “I realised it’s impossible for an independent filmmaker like me to compete with the muscle power of big regional production and distribution houses and ensure that my film gets a level playing field. It left me depressed for a long time and hence I decided to film my third project in Hindi to avoid the same spell of struggle and dejection,” tells the filmmaker.

This time, Bappa is making a Hindi detective thriller Girgit starring well-known actors like Dibyendu Bhattacharya, Joy Sengupta, Ipshita Chakraborty, Dona Munshi and Koneenica Banerjee among others. “It’s a psychological detective thriller that has a female sleuth, Nilanjana, solving serial murders and nabbing the criminal. We rarely see detective stories that remain unsolved till the end, but I don’t want to divulge further since it is a thriller,” tells Bappa.

<em>Filmmaker Bappa</em>
Filmmaker Bappa

The film will see talented actor Ipshita Chakraborty of Bhonsle fame playing the lead role of the detective and Bappa can’t stop praising her. “She is a hidden gem and very much unexplored in the Bengali film industry. It was an overwhelming experience to work with her. Joy Sengupta is my guide in the world of films and Dibyendu too is a known face in the OTT platforms. So, yes, I am hoping that Girgit would make some positive noise when it releases,” he shares.

Meanwhile, Bappa has also finished shooting for Psycho, a dark thriller centred on a painter’s life, that’s currently in the post-production stage.

Leading a theatre initiative A Bong Positive since 2012, the filmmaker also loves experimenting with plays and is going to stage two plays early this year. “We will be staging Sukumar Roy’s Hajabarala this February end and I am also acting in a solo proscenium play. Nayan Kabirer Pala, a story by Nabendu Sen that will be staged sometime in April,” tells Bappa.

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