Sreelekha and Shaheb, draped in a silk sari, shoot for Kalidas Chemistry. Picture by Sanjoy Chattopadhyaya

Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute; Thursday afternoon.

Though age has restricted his movements, the 80-year-old Basu Chatterjee is bustling with energy on the sets of his new film Kalidas Chemistry. It is a Bengali adaptation of his hit Hindi film Dillagi, and he has got Shaheb Chatterjee and Sreelekha Mitra to recreate the bitter-sweet dalliances of Dharmendra and Hema Malini.

For the climax scene, Chatterjee orders one of his assistants to pour a bucket of water on Shaheb, who plays Sanskrit professor Swarnakamal. He is head over heels in love with the snooty, haughty Renu (Sreelekha), a chemistry professor in his college.

“So far we haven’t had any romantic scenes. Whenever Renu and Swarnakamal cross paths, they fight. But the two come closer at the end of the film when Renu realises Swarnakamal’s feelings for her,” says Shaheb, looking sheepish in the white silk sari he has wrapped himself in. “Believe me, I am extremely uncomfortable in this!” he adds.

The reason behind Shaheb’s weird costume is the fact that his character gets drenched on the way to Renu’s place, and she offers him her mother’s sari as a change.

“Shaheb is not only looking hilarious in this sari, he is also good fun to work with,” smiles Sreelekha. “He is a prankster. He’s pulling everyone’s leg, including Basuda’s, and Basuda isn’t even scolding him! Basuda is so full of energy even at his age. He is very particular and gets offended if things don’t go his way. I have worked with him in Hothat Brishti, so I know his style.”

Sreelekha’s look in the film is consistent — crisp cotton saris, hair neatly tied back and thick black-framed glasses. “Renu is a no-nonsense person and dresses accordingly, except for the song sequences,” she adds.

As Shaheb-Sreelekha get busy rehearsing their lines, Chatterjee goes about arranging the props while keeping an eye on the monitor. He shuffles the chairs and cleans a table. “I like to do these things myself, after all it’s my film. I like being a hands-on director,” he says, settling down on a plastic chair.

“I am happy with Sreelekha and Shaheb’s performances. I have retained the essence of Dillagi and have only dropped a few characters. I think people can still relate to such a subject,” he adds.

But the maker of Rajnigandha, Chitchor and Khatta Meetha is not done yet. Up next is a film with Rituparna Sengupta!