(From top) Arindam Sil with Resshmi Ghosh at the look test of his debut film Aborto; Sujoy Ghosh and Vidya Balan shoot for Kahaani

Getting the clearance from the cops to straightening the budget when the tea bill touched 5K a month, Arindam Sil did it all when Sujoy Ghosh got busy making Kahaani. The actor-turned-producer-turned-associate producer-turned-executive producer-turned-line producer-turned-director — phew! — shares his kahaani with t2...

You must have had your hands full as the executive producer (EP) of Kahaani....

The most important work that I had to do for Kahaani was getting the requisite permission from the police. Most of the film was shot on the streets of Calcutta. So before the shoot started, I met Gautam Mohan Chakrabarti (former police commissioner) and narrated him the Kahaani story. He helped us in every way possible. See, Kahaani is also a tribute to Calcutta Police. The fact that cops are friends of society is reiterated by the character played by Param (Parambrata Chattopadhyay).

Mayor Sovan Chatterjee helped us too and we got the permission to shoot inside a Metro Railway compartment. Shara Calcutta jurey shooting and every day we had at least 200 people in the team. We started pre-production four months ahead of the shoot.

My office (Nothing Beyond Cinema on Raja Basanta Roy Road) was actually the office of Kahaani. In the first month of shooting, I got a tea, jilipi and singara bill amounting to Rs 5,000 from Maharani, the roadside tea stall opposite Monalisa Guest House on Sarat Bose Road! I freaked out. Even Vidya (Balan) had her morning and evening tea from Maharani. Once I shouted at an assistant director because he had ordered a Subway sandwich! Kahaani had a very tight budget and I was careful not to overspend. Mine was the toughest role in Kahaani!

You have been an associate producer for several films. What is the basic difference between an associate producer and an EP?

An associate producer is involved in the finances. If I bring sponsorship of Rs 20 lakh for a film that has a budget of Rs 1 crore, then I have a contribution in the film and I am an associate producer. An associate producer has a share in the profits of the film. He comes on board along with the main producer. But an EP is hired. I am not just an associate producer and an EP, I have now become a producer too for my directorial debut Aborto. I am financing my film. When I set up Nothing Beyond Cinema, I wanted to make it a one-stop shop for cinema. Nothing Beyond Cinema provides logistical support to filmmakers. People from Bombay would always complain that they didn’t know who to approach when they wanted to shoot in Calcutta. Nothing Beyond Cinema is the answer.

Which role do you enjoy more?

I enjoy being all — being a producer, an associate producer or the EP of a project. I am doing what I love. Being a director is being completely creative. The EP’s work is the most difficult because you need to be associated with a film from start to finish.

You have acted in most of the films where you have been the EP or an associate producer. Does it come as a package?

I am not a bad actor! I always do justice even to bit roles. In fact, Sujoy had offered me a biggish role in Kahaani but I was under so much pressure that I couldn’t do it. I did a blink-and-you-miss role (Arindam played the man who says there’s a bomb in the Metro). I say yes to anything that is creative.

Have you finalised the cast for your next film?

Yes, it’s a murder mystery starring Abir (Chatterjee) and Swastika (Mukherjee).