Arjun Chakrabarty and Amrita in Janala Diye Bou Palalo, which releases on October 17

All five films you have made, including Janala Diye Bou Palalo, are comedies. Do you think it is your forte?

I made Room No. 103 in between. It’s a thriller and is yet to release. My next film is Tuski, which is very different from what I have made so far. What happens is when a film runs, we feel like repeating the genre... even producers wanted me to make a comedy, so I made Janala Diye Bou Palalo. Besides, I like making fun films that make people laugh. It’s not really a bad idea after all!

Aniket Chattopadhyay

Making people laugh is one of the most difficult things. What inspires you to write a fun script?

Yes, comedy is the most difficult genre. And if you can’t make a scene funny, it can turn disastrous. I have to be on my toes while shooting a comedy because I have to know exactly what kind of dialogue delivery my actors should do to make the scene look funny. I am often inspired by what’s happening around me. The speeches made by so many politicians in our state are very funny. So there’s comedy everywhere.

Do your own films make you laugh?

Yes, Bye Bye Bangkok, Goraay Gondogol, Chha E Chhuti make me laugh whenever I revisit these films.

Tell us about Janala Diye Bou Palalo...

The name sounds like the title of a jatra pala! The name is inspired from a popular Bengali rhyme that goes like this: Jamaibabu, kamala lebu ekla kheo na/janala diye bou palabe dekhte pabe na. The title could have been Bou, Janala or Palalo but I felt the coinage is interesting. It’s a very urban story. For the first time I have worked with the GenY. Mimi (played by newcomer Amrita) is a student of Presidency University and Upogupto (Arjun Chakrabarty) is an aspiring rock star. The way they speak and lead their lives is what Janala Diye Bou Palalo is about.

Of the five films you’ve made, which is closest to your heart?

Room No. 103, which is yet to release. Working with Soumitra Chatterjee has been a dream-come-true. Jisshu (Sengupta) and Priyanka.... Oh my god! What should I say about them? They are tremendous.

If you were to pick one director from Tollywood whose kind of films you would want to make, who would it be?

Srijit Mukherji and Kaushik Ganguly. They are very good storytellers and they have it in them to pull the crowd to the theatres. When I watch their films, I feel like making a film like theirs. My favourites are Kaushik’s Shabdo and Srijit’s Chotushkone.