Sharmila Tagore makes a return to Bengali cinema with Puratawn after a 16-year break for a role that director Suman Ghosh says was written with her in mind from the very beginning.
The film, produced by Bhavna Aaj O Kal, is headlined by Rituparna Sengupta and Indraneil Sengupta alongside Tagore.
“I had this idea in my mind for years, and somehow, it was always her face I saw when I thought of it,” Ghosh told The Telegraph Online in an exclusive chat.
“But I never thought she would agree, especially since she had been refusing offers in Bengali for so long,” added the National Award-winning filmmaker.
A chance mention by Rituparna Sengupta that Tagore might be open to the idea encouraged Ghosh to act. “I told Rituparna, if Sharmila Tagore doesn’t do this film, I won’t make it. That’s how inseparable she was from this story for me,” said Ghosh.
When Tagore and Ghosh eventually met in California at a Satyajit Ray centenary event, Ghosh pitched the idea to her. “And after hearing the script, the first thing she said was that the script was like a poem,” the filmmaker added.
In Puratawn, Tagore portrays a character across three different stages of life — demanding a nuanced performance with distinct body language and tonal shifts.
Ghosh, who compares her approach to the disciplined precision of Rahul Dravid, praised her dedication: “She’s not an impromptu actor. She prepared thoroughly, read books I recommended, did her own research.”
Puratawn also marks Ghosh’s first collaboration with Indraneil Sengupta, whose performance he described as a revelation. “To be honest, I initially cast him for his looks… he’s very stunning on screen. And having seen him in films like Kaushik Ganguly’s Arekti Premer Golpo and Srijit Mukherji’s Autograph, I knew he is a good actor,” Ghosh said.
“I was completely enamoured by his performance — the subtle glances, the sheer depth of his craft. It was so nuanced. He’s an incredibly diligent actor, and that’s a word I find myself emphasising a lot these days. Because there are no shortcuts in life — certainly not in acting. I gave him the same books I once gave Sharmila Tagore, and he read them. He came to the set absolutely prepared. I think, more than anything, our aesthetics aligned beautifully,” Ghosh added.
Puratawn is produced by Bhavna Aaj O Kal, with Rituparna Sengupta not only playing a key role in the film but also stepping in as producer mid-way through the project. “Initially, someone else was supposed to produce it. But Bhavna Aaj O Kal approached me, saying, ‘This is a heritage film, with Sharmila Tagore and Rituparna Sengupta coming together on screen. Can we take it up?’ I have blind trust in Ritu. She was an actor first, then became the producer,” Ghosh said.
Puratawn is a deeply personal film for Ghosh — not autobiographical, but born out of his reflection on nostalgia, the passage of time, and the shifting roles within families. And with Sharmila Tagore choosing it as her final screen appearance, the film now holds a special place in Bengali cinematic history.
“From Apur Sansar to Puratawn, it feels like a full circle,” Ghosh reflected. “There’s a quiet poignancy to that.”