'Not concerned of what others are making': Arindam Sil ahead of his Puja release, Byomkesh Gotro

Director and actor Arindam Sil talks about his upcoming Puja release, Byomkesh Gotro
Cast and crew of Byomkesh Gotro celebrating Italian diner Serafina's fourth year in Kolkata
Cast and crew of Byomkesh Gotro celebrating Italian diner Serafina's fourth year in Kolkata

Serafina, the Italian fine dining restaurant at quest Mall, Kolkata, just turned four this September. To celebrate its presence in the city, the diner invited upcoming Puja release Byomkesh Gotro’s cast and crew to a gala dinner. Only a handful of media were present to witness the great time that the celebrities had, enjoying authentic Italian cuisines. Those present included lead actor Abir Chatterjee, actor director Anjan Dutt, composer Bickram Ghosh, Arjun Chakaraborty and director of Byomkesh Gotro, Arindam Sil along with his wife, Sukla Sil.

The dinner comprised Fritto de Pollo Piccanti, an Italian style marinated fried chicken tossed with Arrabbiata spice and served with zesty lemon mayonnaise and Bruschetta Con Formaggio Di Capra E Pomodori oven-toasted sliced French baguette topped with goat cheese, tomatoes, basil and balsamic reduction and Serafina Chicken Salad in the starters, Penne Arrabbiata E Pollo and Spaghetti Aglio Olio E Peperoncino was in the pasta section.

The main course included Petto Di Pollo Grigliato E Pepe Nero, grilled chicken breast with black pepper sauce, grilled vegetables and mashed potatoes and Lasagne Al Forno and there were Tiramisu and Torta di Cioccolato to end it on a sweet note.

Filmmaker Arindam Sil
Filmmaker Arindam Sil

Indulge took some time out to have a chat with filmmaker Arindam Sil, known for his deft ways of handling thrillers, on his Puja release,Byomkesh Gotro. Excerpts.

This is for the first time that a Byomkesh film directed by you is going to have a Puja release. How does it feel?

We never had a Puja release of Byomkesh before, though we had Christmas release, which also entails a festive mood in the city. Nevertheless, this is the biggest festival in Bengal and anyhow, whenever a movie releases, that itself creates a kind of mental pressure and stress within me, whether my movie can live up to the expectations of the audience or not.

Sil (extreme right) with Rahul Banerjee (extreme left), Abir Chatterjee and Sohini Sarkar
Sil (extreme right) with Rahul Banerjee (extreme left), Abir Chatterjee and Sohini Sarkar

According to the industry people and the general buzz around, Byomkesh Gotro is by far your best movie among the Byomkesh series so far.

 I am blessed that audience has liked the look and feel of the movie. The story, Rokter Daag, from which the film has been adapted, is also a very intriguing Byomkesh tale. By far Byomkesh Gotro is definitely the best looking film made by me and also all the actors have put in a terrific performance in the film. I am very happy and satisfied with the way the film has shaped out.

How was it directing Anjan Dutt, who was the first in the industry to direct a Byomkesh film in Byomkesh Gotro?

Casting Anjan Dutt in my film was not a gimmick. There is no one in the industry at this moment to play the role of Ushapoti with such conviction. Anjan has stopped making Byomkesh films and here we are working together in Byomkesh Gotro, it’s a privilege and pleasure to work with him. He is a director’s delight, you won’t believe, he took master classes on the floor and worked so hard for the film. The kind of performances that Anjan Dutt is delivering currently, he is only outdoing himself as an actor each time.

Poster of <em>Byomkesh Gotro</em>
Poster of Byomkesh Gotro

How is this Byomkesh film different from the others in terms of look and feel?

The look and costumes of the actors had to be a bit different since the location was Mussorie. Costume designer Abhishek Roy has done a splendid job and created an amazing look for the characters. Cinematographer Shubhankar Bhar has successfully managed to create the kind of colour palette that we decided upon before commencing the shoot. Bickram Ghosh has composed a great track for the film.

Abir Chatterjee (left) with Sohini Sarkar and Rahul Banerjee, who will be playing the role of Ajit, earlier reprised by actor Ritwik Chakraborty
Abir Chatterjee (left) with Sohini Sarkar and Rahul Banerjee, who will be playing the role of Ajit, earlier reprised by actor Ritwik Chakraborty

This time Ritwik Chakraborty won’t be seen playing Ajit in Byomkesh? Has Rahul Banerjee been able to replicate Ajit to your satisfaction?

Ritwik reprised Ajit’s character in two of my Byomkesh films. He no longer wants to act in that role. I believe every actor has to be respected for their decisions and there is no story beyond this. In fact, he will soon be seen in another film directed by me. Rahul has not only played the role to perfection, he even managed to introduce layers in Ajit’s characters. Now, it’s up to the audience to decide who played the better Ajit.

Will there be again good item songs in Byomkesh Gotro?

Yes, music again will be very good in this film and there will be a cabaret song, too, where Priyanka Sarkar will be seen dancing to the song.

Abir Chatterjee with co-actor Sohimi Sarkar, who plays Byomkesh's wife, Satyabati in the film
Abir Chatterjee with co-actor Sohimi Sarkar, who plays Byomkesh's wife, Satyabati in the film

Five other big banner films will be releasing along with Byomkesh Gotro this Puja. How do you feel about that and which films among them do you plan to watch?

We have created a Puja gift for the audience called Byomkesh Gotro. I am only concerned about my own film’s performance and never think about others’ films. I wish to watch Srijit Mukherji’s Ek Je Chilo Raja and Anindya Chatterjee’s Monojder Odbhut Bari and if possible, also Kaushik Ganguly’s Kishore Kumar Junior.

To watch Byomkesh Gotro's official teaser, click here:

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