Joydeep Ghosh, who holds a sound engineering degree from FTII Pune, had to wait for three years to finally get a release date for his directorial debut Mayabazar, starring Roopa Ganguly, Dhritiman Chaterji and Badshah Moitra. A t2 chat with the documentary maker...
Why was Mayabazar lying in the cans for so long?
There are a lot of issues which I don’t want to discuss now, since Mayabazar (produced by NFDC) is releasing on June 1. After three years of wait, I finally decided to take the initiative to release the film. Mayabazar is for an intelligent audience. There are scarcely any Bengali films being made for the buddhidiptya (intelligent) Bangali. Cinema also has a serious aspect. But most of the Bengali films being made today are of the haha-hehe-hoho type! I’m not against light-hearted films but there should be space for filmmakers like me who want to make films that will make the audience think.
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| Badshah and Roopa in Mayabazar |
What is the film all about?
‘Mayabazar’ means market of illusions. There are three individual stories. The first, Smriti, is based on Sharadindu Bandopadhyay’s Dehantar. Smriti revolves around a widow (Roopa Ganguly) who sees her husband (Badshah Moitra) in every man she has a relationship with. She is middle-aged and sexually active. She has many lovers but she is obsessed with her husband. Smriti also has Priya Karfa in an important role. The second, Satwa, starring TV actors Jack and Payel Dey is based on Sharadindu’s Shunyo Shudhu Shunyo Noy, where a young painter leads a happy marital life, but in his dreams! The real collides with the imaginary when he realises that the girl of his dreams is actually dead. I have changed a lot in Shunyo Shudhu Shunyo Noy. The original story is a comedy, while my film ends on a serious note. The third, Bhabishyat, is a satire based on Rajshekhar Basu’s Mahesher Mahajatra. It revolves around two professors (played by Dhritiman Chaterji and Pradip Mukherjee). One is a believer, the other a non-believer. This story has no female character and is shot in the absurd format.
Mayabazar was made three years ago. Won’t it look dated?
No. My film doesn’t have a shelf life. That’s the fun of Mayabazar. The topics I have dealt with will be relevant even 10 years from now. Mayabazar is about the eternal issues of life and death, love and memory. I have shown the film to a few people and they too felt that it doesn’t look dated.
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| Pradip Mukherjee and Dhritiman Chaterji |
Was it difficult to get the likes of Roopa Ganguly and Dhritiman Chaterji for your debut film?
No. They loved the subject. The film is based on stories that I have read and loved. Sharadindu Bandopadhyay and Rajshekhar Basu are two of my favourite authors.
Your next is a Hindi film...
Yes, it’s a fast-paced thriller and very different from Mayabazar. I am yet to finalise the cast. But I will continue to make more Bengali films and entertain the audience in a different way.
Kushali Nag
Why will you watch Mayabazar? Tell t2@abp.in