Filmmaker Abhirup Ghosh’s new film Mrigaya — starring Vikram Chatterjee, Ritwick Chakraborty, Susmita Chatterjee, Priyanka Sarkar, Anirban Chakrabarti, Saurav Das and Rezwan — is eyeing a June release. The concept of hunting plays a major factor in the story of the film, with multiple people hunting each other, both figuratively and literally. “I wanted the title to be something related to the concept of hunting. Mrigaya seemed apt due to its cultural context. It represents our film in a very direct, yet interesting way. It’s a larger-than-life film that truly demands the big screen viewing experience,” says Abhirup. A t2 chat.
Was there something in particular that motivated you about this subject?
I have always been a fan of caper films and films that focus on covert operations. I had been looking for story options to make a film of this genre for quite some time, but had failed to find an exciting subject. Luckily, this story fell on my lap. Debasis Datta, the officer-in-charge of Maniktala police station, approached me with this story, which was based on a real case handled by him. I was immediately hooked. This was a rather underrated case, which probably did not get much media attention, but the details of the case shook me. I could see the germ of the caper film I wanted to make. Thankfully, Debasisda let me fictionalise the story and adapt it in my way. While keeping the essence of the original incident intact, my writing team, Aritra Banerjee and Soumit Deb, and I tried to create a fun, entertaining narrative.
Ritwick
How did you decide on the casting for this film?
As soon as we started to develop the characters, we could envision Vikram as the young, dynamic cop, Animesh. Vikram and I had been trying to work together for quite some time now. It’s great that we got to collaborate on this project. Vikram is perfect for the innocent and stoic charm of Animesh. Also, we needed someone who would be comfortable with the action scenes. Animesh is a no-nonsense cop who has a keen sense of observation. Vikram fit the bill to the hilt. With the character of OC, Debanjan Datta, I think we have the opportunity to create a memorable character for Ritwickda. The OC is a colourful, chilled-out character who solves crimes in a matter-of-fact way while simply chatting suspects up. Anirbanda plays a cop who specialises in different technological aspects of police work. Rezwan plays Imran, an officer of the anti-rowdy squad who specialises in handling raids.
The film relies heavily on the chemistry and dynamics between various characters.
Saurav Das plays a mysterious criminal. Priyanka Sarkar is the heart and soul of the film and plays Chaya, a sex worker who lives and works in the bylanes of Sonagachi. She forms the emotional core of the film. She has some of the most heart-wrenching and difficult scenes in the film. Newcomer Ananya Bhattacharya plays Chameli, an ill-tempered, foul-mouthed young sex worker who hates all men. We needed a fresh face for the volatile, yet vulnerable Chameli. Ananya fit the role perfectly.
We have Susmita Chatterjee in a very special character of a banjara-like dance performer and wanderer, who travels all through the country, performing at different jalsa-like events. Susmita is featured in a pre-climax jalsa sequence item number, which is one of the highlights of the film and forms the crux of the cat and mouse game the protagonists play with the antagonist. We also have Sohini Guha Roy in a special appearance as Ritwick Chakraborty’s wife, Maaya.
What is the storyline?
It focuses on four cops, who are forced to team up, in order to hunt down a dangerous criminal who is on the run. What sets this story apart is the fact that it is written by an actual cop, Debasis Datta. He has been assisted by another police officer, Pallab Malakar. The police procedural aspects of the story are very authentic.