What is love? Rather, what is young love? Has the definition and meaning of love and its significance changed over the years? Or does it still remain the way it has always been –pure and pristine? Debutante filmmaker Paroma Neotia's upcoming Valentine's month release Mitthye Premer Gaan attempts at exploring love and its various emotions in a very unique and musical manner. This triangle love story will see Tollywood's flavour of the season and every thinking woman's crush Anirban Bhattacharya in a very different role, playing a romantic singer Avik to actress Ishaa Saha's chirpy character Anwesha.
Anirban's directorial debut film Ballavourer Roopkatha became one of the major hits and most-appreciated films last year. Ishaa, one of the emerging actors in Tollywood, had a mixed run last year and she was a part of the superhit franchise film Karnasubarner Guptodhon that released last Pujas.
We speak to the lead romantic pair about their first release of the pair and try to get a drift of how love has metamorphosized over the years. The screen couple also posed in a cosy shoot exclusively for us.
Excerpts from the chat:
Did you expect the kind of hysteria around Ballavpurer Roopkatha?
Honestly speaking, I was a bit skeptical and a tad nervous about the reception of Ballavpurer Roopkatha since it had a never-tested-before theatrical format. But the kind of response we got from the audience and at the box office, it really was long due for all of us and I am so happy that it finally happened.
Initially, I thought this kind of cinema might not work at the box office but it was Srikant Mohta (SVF) gave me a lot of confidence that it would work and we went ahead with the film.
As a filmmaker I might have many observations about my film, but when it goes to the audience it becomes community property and the fact that the intentions of the movie were well communicated is what makes me glad. After a long time, people experienced iconic thespian Badal Sirkar's songs and a different genre of humour and Bangaliyana in this film which were so well-accepted.
Ishaa: In fact, the credit rolls were so chic, I loved it.
Mitthye Premer Gaan will be your first film together? What drew you to the film?
Anirban: When Paroma read out the script to me I had a terrible feeling that it might be the worst casting to think of me in that role. I thought that she cast me since she loved my work but when I read the script and finally said yes to it, I was confident that it wasn't a choice by fluke. She was very sure what she wanted from us and when working it wasn't a fluke she was sure what she wanted from us.
Ishaa: Yes Paroma is very particular and precise about everything.
Anirban: Paroma is very meticulous and discussed a lot and sat many times with us before she drafted and redrafted things. Though I had a hunch that I might not be able to pull off the role, she was very confident about casting me as Avik. And during the dubbing, I realised how she conceived the movie. It's not at all a funky 'yo-yo' millennial love story.
Tell us about your characters in the film?
Anirban: My character, Avik, is an aspiring musician and singer who is passionate about music. It's interesting and unique how love has been interpreted in this film. It's about one of the most relevant aspects of love but is very confusing and complicated and has been dealt with very sensibly. I have never played such a role before and the closest that I have played a romantic guy was in Gopone Prem Chharan opposite Jaya Ahsan which was a part of the series, Paanch Foron.
Ishaa: Though I am very talkative as a person, I don't think I talk as much as my character Anwesha does, which is at an insane level. I was apprehensive I would come across as a little artificial since I thought she was too loud. But all my worries were put to rest after the dubbing session. I play a very rich man's daughter and I hail from a family which is culturally rich. Anwesha is too young and has a lot of romantic confusion in life.
Also, Paroma was so particular about our look. It's such a refreshing movie and has a very polished and glossy feel about it.
Anirban: It's not a realistic movie, it's a dreamy film -- the setup and ambience and spaces are so dreamy, though it's realistic from an emotional point of view.
Ishaa: The film shows how the young new generation views love now.
How do you think they view love?
Anirban: Well, I am not from this generation and I am not dating anyone now so I don't know, how they view love but when I used to date it was definitely different.
What I love about this film is the way it has depicted insecurity and confidence, two very contradictory emotions in a person. This duality and pull and push of emotions is there in all of us.
What are the most important preconditions in love?
Ishaa: For me, the preconditions have changed with time, previously it used to be friendship and trust, and now, I feel respecting each other is most important.
Anirban: Love should be alive, whether you fight, insult each other or love each other, it should always be palpable and alive.
Is love more stressful and competitive in the age of social media?
Ishaa: I feel before social media people used to discuss in drawing rooms but nowadays people openly interfere and comment. But how you deal is important. You can control your life by staying private and I don't believe in being in any race.
Anirban: Social media has attacked the basic core human spirit of our society and civilisation, whether you are grieving or celebrating, every incident of your life is a spectacle now. But you can't blame any individual, it's has been designed that way by the makers.
Isha: I don't tackle. I am not answerable to anyone, it's my life.
Since love is in the air, what's your most memorable date?
Ishaa: There are so many of them, but the sweetest of them was when boys from other schools used to visit our school during events and we all used to steal an innocent glance at each other.
Anirban: I had a long love story during my college days and I remember going to Millenium Park by the riverside here. It started raining heavily and none of the couples had a place to hide or sit so we were all standing. That was a very romantic moment in my life.
Upcoming projects?
Ishaa: I have Ghorey Pherar Gaan releasing next month and the second season of Indu just released.
Anirban: My film Abar Bibaho Obhijaan is ready for release and Byomkesh season 8 will be coming soon too.
Ishaa's costumes: V by Sarita and Aakrritti Anirban's costumed: Rahul Dasgupta Styled by Neel Saha