His second film Hridpindo, a story of selfless love with Arpita Chatterjee in the lead, was slated for an April 24 release this year. The promotions for the same were in full swing too. But like many other films, its release too is in a state of limbo thanks to the coronavirus pandemic.
“I never wanted Hridpindo to release online since it was shot amidst the grandeur of the hills in Arunachal. I am grateful that the film’s producer has held back the film till the crisis is over,” tells Shieladitya Moulik, the maker of the film.
Not one to sulk about something not under his control, Shieladitya has already begun the recce for his third film, Chheledhora, starring Jaya Ahsan in the lead. We had a chat with him about the movie. Excerpts:
How did you spend your time during the lockdown?
It turned out to be a very productive period for me. I ended up making three lockdown shorts and wrote two scripts, one for a full-length feature and another for a short. You are back with your third film, Chheledhora.
Tell us how you came up with the idea?
I love telling relationship tales but not necessarily a romantic one. I was thinking of a few unorthodox human relationships and was wondering how a mother’s struggle to retrieve her kidnapped daughter could be portrayed onscreen. That’s how the storyline for Chheledhora developed. It will be a road movie that will also touch upon a few pressing social issues including child trafficking.
Why Jaya Ahsan?
I didn’t follow Jaya Ahsan’s work much except a few Kaushik Ganguly films that she did. But as I started watching more films of her I was impressed by her range. We have seen her in a variety of roles including a rural woman, an urban corporate, a sex worker or a housewife but never as an alcoholic mother of a kidnapped daughter.
When do you plan to shoot the film?
I was thinking of shooting around the Pujas as the autumn sky comes out beautifully with floating cotton ball clouds and bright sunshine. Since it’s primarily a road movie, the sky will play an important part. So, if the situation gets back to normal, we will stick to our schedule.
You left Mumbai at a time when things were just beginning to boom on OTT platforms. Do you miss the action there?
I am closely working with Jaideep Sahni on a couple of projects there. But those are taking time since the subjects require a lot of research. So, I thought of coming to Kolkata and try my luck here. The essence and nature of Bengali films are different now, giving a lot of scope to explore my range of creativity.
sharmishtha.g@newindianexpress.com
@sharmidas