Anything can happen when love strikes between a vampire and a human. Director Pratim Dasgupta talks about what unfolds when the two worlds meet in his Netflix series Tooth Pari and what he has learnt during the process of shaping this magical romantic story set in contemporary Kolkata.

What is the genesis of Tooth Pari? We have not seen the genre of vampires being explored much in Indian cinema…

Pratim Dasgupta: The idea of a love story between a vampire and a dentist had been with me for a long time. I always thought that because a vampire’s main weapon is the tooth, what if the tooth breaks or there's some kind of a problem? This play of opposites attracted me. I always wondered why something hasn’t been done on this.

Four-five years back Sujoy Ghosh was making three one-hour films for Disney+ Hotstar called Teen Paheliyan; I directed one of them. I had pitched this idea to him. After reading the synopsis, he said that this idea was too good for a one-hour film.

The reason why this genre hasn’t been done much here is because we as a country don’t have our own vampire mythology. We have other demons, monsters and gods. Vampire is a European concept. But I think there was a demand for it. After the trailer came out, I had lots of people saying this is what we needed — an Indian vampire series. The idea was to Indianise it and look at vampires through a human lens.

Rumi is a rebellious vampire with a broken tooth. Can you take us through her character graph?

Pratim Dasgupta: From my perspective, she was turned from a human to a vampire 10 years back. She’s in her mid-20s but in her head she’s in her mid-30s. Ten years have passed but bodily she has not aged. She’s forced to stay in the underworld. She’s kind of renegade; she wants to challenge authority.

Also, she starts out as a human hater. She wants to bite them; she wants to draw human blood because she had a torrid human life. As you see more episodes, you realise Dr Roy’s character, played by Shantanu Maheshwari, makes her realise that not every human is the same. There’s a championing of humanity in the show which is the subtext but on the surface of the show it’s a rollercoaster ride, a thriller with a love story.

How did you decide on the colour palette of Tooth Pari?

Pratim Dasgupta: There are various sections of the zone that we have done for the underworld. There is a main hall which has a gaming area. I wanted to treat the hub of the vampire clan like a very exclusive luxury resort. You are in the resort but you are locked up. You can do whatever you want within the resort but you can’t leave.

There are several sections. There is a blood bar which is highlighted by the colour red. There is a library which is green in colour. I wanted to give a neon feel to the underworld. The colours are very cold. But whenever we enter the dentist’s chamber, it’s very warm. It’s orange, yellow and red. That is how the two worlds are visually differentiated. Somewhere in the show, the colours start merging because the worlds collide. Once the love stories start blossoming, the two worlds start coming together.

It’s also fast-paced…

Pratim Dasgupta: Yes, I personally somewhat moved towards watching stuff which kind of moves fast. I used to really appreciate very slow-moving arthouse films and at one point I used to get a lot of joy watching them. But over the last few years, the world has changed and I’ve aged. I watch films and series that can hold my attention. My viewing has changed, so my making has also changed.

The length of the episodes is longer. Long-form content is a completely different ball game. You have so much time in hand to play around. At the same time, if you play in a boring and placid way people are going to run away. I have spent a lot of time with the characters so that audiences can stay invested. Although the plot moves very fast, I have given time to the characters. The scenes are short and they move fast but you also identify with their problems and their joy.

What made you zero in on Tanya Maniktala and Shantanu Maheshwari?

Pratim Dasgupta: I had auditioned many actors for these parts. I wanted fresh new faces. There are very few so-called stars in the age group of mid-20s to early 30s. Also, I didn’t want someone with a preconceived idea of a vampire role. People must have seen Tanya in A Suitable Boy and Flames but she’s largely an unknown face.

Also, I was looking for a face that was kind. I don’t want the audience to hate my protagonist. She’s the hero of the show. Although she drinks human blood, she’s the ‘Pari’ (fairy) of Tooth Pari. Tanya has brought that beautiful balance. Tanya is very beautiful and there’s an inherent kindness in her which kind of shines through.

My casting director for the show is Shruti Mahajan who casts for all of Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s films. She had asked me to look into Shantanu Maheshwari’s audition who was playing a part in Gangubai Kathiawadi, and I really liked him. I auditioned him over many weeks, asked him to do several scenes, and also did a look test. It fell into place. I find his nervous energy very infectious.

A still from Tooth Pari.

A huge part of the cast is from Bengal…

Pratim Dasgupta: When the project got greenlit by Netflix, I didn’t want to suddenly work with a crew and actors from Bombay. My DOP of the film is from Kolkata, Subhankar Bhar, who shot my last four films. Both my stylist and assistant are from Kolkata. I wanted to have my own team from Kolkata. If I’m getting a good opportunity, they should also get the same. Similarly in casting, although it’s a Kolkata milieu, I could have cast anybody from Bombay because the Bengali dialogues are very minimal.

Has the web platform been more conducive to a concept like this?

Pratim Dasgupta: Yes, I don’t think this could have been a feature, especially in the Indian language. It’s only been possible because of the web platform where people are ready to watch all kinds of subjects. One of the biggest USPs of OTT is they allow you to try new things, play with genre, cast actors who are not major stars and yet have people watching.

Is the grammar of the web distinct from film?

Pratim Dasgupta: In terms of writing it is different, but not in terms of making because we shot and edited the show as if we were making a feature film. There was never the thought that since people would watch it on phone, we would take a close-up. If something needed a wide frame, we would shoot it like that. Similarly, in the way we have edited the show, the music is larger than life. It has been a great challenge and learning experience.

What was one of the most challenging scenes to craft?

Pratim Dasgupta: We shot the climax at Phool Ghat next to Howrah Bridge. We shot during Covid. At that time, night shoots were not allowed. That was a real challenge because it had lots of action sequences. I learnt a lot during the action sequences. Directing actors in a dialogue scene is completely different from getting the emotions and energy right in an action sequence. That was new for me. I really enjoyed it and maybe you will see a lot of action sequences in my forthcoming films.

What’s next for you?

Pratim Dasgupta: There is a Hindi script that I’m working on. It is a road film based entirely outside the country, so it will take time to set up the project. There’s a sequel of Saheb Bibi Golam which I am very keen to make and the original producer is also excited to make it. It is not an extension of the first story; it’s a new story in the same format. It’s an action thriller. That script is almost ready. But I need to have the right cast to make the film. Right now I am developing another web series; it is a police drama. I am writing right now. Let’s see what happens next.