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| Rana-Sudeshna |
Advantages/disadvantages of working together?
Sudeshna Roy: The advantage is we work as a package. Two people doing similar things is always nice because there are lots of creative inputs. Of course sometimes we agree to disagree. The disadvantage is for people because they don’t know who to talk to! There are little things, like the press carries my pictures often so there may be a little bit of an ego problem between us. We believe filmmaking is a team work and the kudos are for everybody and the brickbats are for us!
Rana (Abhijit Guha): Advantages are more. Responsibilities get divided so there’s less workload.
When did you decide to work together as a team?
Sudeshna: I was a journalist till 1994. Prosenjit gave me a break in a small programme titled Manabi on Zee Bangla. Rana was with me as my technical director but as we started working we started dreaming together. I have learnt the technicalities and he has learnt how to talk a little better!
Rana: When I thought of directing, everyone wants to work alone, but somehow people gave us work together and later we didn’t really want to work individually.
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| Arjun Chakrabarty and Mimi Chakraborty in Rana-Sudeshna’s forthcoming film Bapi Bari Jaa |
The modus operandi?
Sudeshna: We discuss the storyline. We develop stories together. Now we are working on a thriller, so I am reading up books. Then we start talking and the story evolves and then we fix a scriptwriter.
Rana: The story ideas come to Sudeshna mostly. I look after the editing and the more technical stuff while Sudeshna hires actors and decides their look.
Who’s the boss?
Sudeshna: I let Rana call the shots (laughs) because he is younger and needs to be pampered and also because he is a man!
Rana: She is the boss!
Do you have a clash of ideas?
Sudeshna: Oh, we fight all the time! But it is resolved. There are times when I don’t agree with him at all.
Rana: Oh, there are too many clashes between us. But despite our quarrels we’ve never felt that we should move away and work separately.
How often do you disagree?
Sudeshna and Rana: Very often!
Sudeshna: During Cross Connection, I was totally against chopping a few scenes and after much argument they were retained.
When there are creative differences do you call for a third umpire?
Sudeshna: No we don’t. If there was a third umpire we wouldn’t have been able to work together.
Rana: No, we solve it between us.
Ever thought of doing it alone?
Sudeshna: Well, we have worked individually sometimes. Rana did a mega-serial all by himself. But we don’t really want to do things individually.
Rana: No.
A film is the vision of a director, in your case the vision gets divided...
Sudeshna and Rana: So you get more, the audience gets more when there are two directors!
In what ways are you different or alike?
Sudeshna: I never say no. Like if someone tells me there is a story, can you do a film in seven days, I will agree and do it after seven months. Whereas Rana will directly say no. He is more straightforward.
Rana: We are both workaholics, but Sudeshna can multi-task. I like to take it one at a time.
Why is it that one is more vocal and media-savvy while the other likes to remain in the background?
Sudeshna: See, I have been in the media for long and I have talked a lot! I am talkative. When I am not there, Rana talks a lot!
Rana: By nature I’m quieter.
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| Shibu-Nandita |
Advantages/disadvantages of working together?
Shibu (Shiboprosad Mukhopadhyay): I always fall back on her (Nandita) for a second opinion. We discuss a lot of things till the film goes on the floors. I consider this (working together as directors) to be a huge advantage. Sometimes we fight, there are differences of opinion but it never gets nasty.
Nandita Roy: I don’t see any disadvantage. We are successful partners, our chemistry is good!
When did you decide to work together as a team?
Shibu and Nandita: It’s been 11 years since we formed our company Windows. I had done Jamai No 1 with Nitishda (Roy), where Didi (Nandita) was the assistant director. That’s how we came to know each other. After that we worked together in many fiction and non-fiction shows. Then, Ichche happened.
The modus operandi?
Shibu: Both of us conceive an idea. Didi writes the screenplay, I write the dialogue. After the script is ready, she does the scheduling and I conduct the workshop with the actors. Didi takes care of the post-production work like editing, DI and I take charge during dubbing.
Nandita: I pen the story and the screenplay in English and Shibu translates it in Bengali. On the floors, I let Shibu call the shots while I keep an eye on the monitor. Two persons cannot say ‘action’ and ‘cut’ together!
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| Rituparna Sengupta in Muktodhara, Shiboprosad-Nandita’s next, slated for an August release |
Who’s the boss?
Shibu: Both! Both have a say.
Nandita: I am the boss at the edit bay.
Do you have a clash of ideas?
Shibu: Sometimes yes, but that’s quite healthy.
Nandita: From my side never, touchwood!
How often do you disagree?
Shibu: Very rarely. We disagree on a few things but we sort it out as quickly as possible.
Nandita: Very rarely. We trust each other completely.
When there are creative differences do you call for a third umpire?
Shibu: Never! There were times when we fought after the shoot was over, but the next morning I have gone up to Didi and said ‘good morning!’
Nandita: No.
Ever thought of doing it alone?
Shibu: Even the thought of it makes me scared. Eka ki kore kaaj korbo?
Nandita: Never. Shibu is a very good marketing person. He communicates my dreams to the people.
A film is the vision of a director, in your case the vision gets divided...
Shibu: Not really. Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy do their music together. We say that a film is a director’s vision but it’s actually teamwork.
Nandita: I don’t look at it that way. A film is never the vision of a director alone. It’s a dream that everybody in the team dreams together.
In what ways are you different or alike?
Shibu: I am an extrovert and approachable while Didi is reserved. Since I started off as an actor I focus on the performances while Didi thinks of a scene from an editor’s point of view. But our tuning is good.
Nandita: I am cool and balanced, Shibu is aggressive and outgoing....
Why is it that one is more vocal and media-savvy while the other likes to remain in the background?
Shibu: I guess that’s why there’s a balance.
Nandita: I prefer to remain in the background. Shibu is young and dynamic so I let him take centre stage.
Kushali Nag |
