Director Joy Mukharji, Kushal Chakraborty, Maitreyee Mitra and Bhaskar Banerjee. Photograph: SANTANU CHAKRABORTY

It was like running away from the blistering afternoon sun into a centrally airconditioned shamiana of greens, this location called Koyalerbagan near Narendrapur. Beneath the vast green canopy, with hundreds of mangoes and jackfruit hanging above us (not fair to compare them to Damocles’ sword), the cast and crew of Joy Mukharji’s Som Thekey Shoni miniserial, Sarasajyay, looked so at peace with themselves that they must have sent up several thanksgivings in the name of Joy; what a relief from the furnace floors at the Channel 8 studios at Santoshpur Stadium! The lone hut on the premises was used as the ‘kitchen’ and Maitreyee Mitra’s makeup room, while Bhaskar Banerjee, in his element that day, would just down his trousers and do a Salman with his shirt under a tree when a change was required. The clutch of stargazers had what could be called a field day.

Meanwhile, Kushal Chakraborty and Anindya Chakraborty, chirpy as usual, strode into the ‘set’ like they were on a picnic. It was, actually. Naturally, the shots taken by cameraman Bappa Chakraborty were as smooth as the icecandy the bagan oglers were licking while watching the shoot goggle-eyed. They must have been wondering about the sweat and toil they keep hearing the stars cribbing about. We could even watch some long, intense monologues Maitreyee gave, and gamely gave again for no fault of her own, but the sun playing tuki at the wrong moment. What do you call this, conducive ambience?

Scheduled telecast: Aakaash Bangla; May 9-14, 9 pm