She's energetic, enterprising, always full of ideas and loves trying out new things. That's Priti Agarwal for you -- one of the founders of the immensely popular city event, Fireflies besides leading a charitable organisation, Siddhi. Not the one to gather moss, Priti turned producer this year with filmmaker Indira Dhar Mukkherjee's movie The Green Window, which is all set to release on an OTT platform. Also, Priti is all set to bring one of the leading interior labels to Kolkata next year. We chat with Priti about the same.
This year saw you turn producer with The Green Window. What made you say yes to the project?
Actress Jaya Seal Ghosh, who is the lead in this film, is a very good friend and she approached me with the proposal during the initial wave of Covid-19. That was a tough phase for all of us, both mentally and physically. During those unprecedented times, the script was like a ray of positivity, hope, and love. Also, being a firm believer in angels and their blessings, I was excited to discover that the story took a leaf from the book, Angels on Earth. And I immediately said yes to the project.
How was the experience?
I was completely new to the world of films but it was a great learning experience. Since we were shooting in an old-age home, we had to take extra precautions. Also, there were several restrictions that made it quite challenging and difficult.
The film received a lot of recognition and accolades on multiple platforms which made all the efforts worthwhile.
Will we see you producing more films?
I never intended to make movies. In fact, this is something I had no plans of doing. For that matter, all my ventures so far have been spontaneous. Having said that, if I find any project relatable and exciting, I will definitely give it a shot.
Tell us about your initiative Siddhi?
During my school days, we visited a small village in Rajasthan to create awareness about the importance of education among village folks. Since then, the education of underprivileged children is a cause close to my heart.
Siddhi is a charitable organisation started by a group of like-minded women with a passion to work towards the same cause. Currently, we run a school in Uluberia which provides education to children till Class 5.
Siddhi also holds an annual carnival on Children's Day and organises fundraising programmes to forward our cause. We are also planning to add more classes to the school to prevent dropouts and offer uninterrupted learning.
Fireflies has become an exhibition to reckon with. How big are the plans for 2023?
Next year it'll be Fireflies' 13th edition. When we started, very few platforms were available in our city, to showcase the works of promising designers and artisans to a large group of prospective buyers. This year, we opened a new chapter in Guwahati which witnessed huge success and we intend to increase our reach to more places in the future.
You are also bringing in OMA to Kolkata in the interior space...
I have often felt a big void in our city when it comes to an organised platform catering to all our home decor needs -- right from paper napkins to upholstery, from decorations to necessities. OMA will provide the perfect one-stop solution for all such needs. I am sure it will turn into a favourite destination for everyone.