As he gets ready to start the shoot of the film Midnight Club, director Saptaswa Basu — whose film Pratidwandi completed a 50-day run recently — talks to The Telegraph about his new short film Putul, streaming on SVF Movies on YouTube...

What is the genesis of Putul?

We never stopped working during lockdown. Writer Arnab Bhaumik and I regularly chatted over phone and came up with ideas for content. We made a number of web shorts during that time itself, some shot from homes and some shot in location, following restrictions and caution. One such idea was Putul. I found Arnab’s story very interesting and wanted it to be a part of an anthology series initially. Later we decided to produce it as an individual short. The story felt very relevant and realistic and perfect for a short film. The audience are always clicking content randomly on web these days, switching from one to another link. We wanted to make an engaging short.

Saptaswa Basu.

Why pick this particular story to tell?

Putul speaks about the journey of a girl from her rural home to the city. How she completes her journey and what is in store for her at the end forms the story. I could easily relate to it as we see many such migration around us, people who are settling here and trying to make a living in the city. Also, the gender roles portrayed in the story reflect an important aspect of our society as well. The locations for the shoot were interesting since it infused a blend of urban and rural contrast in the visuals. Besides, this could be shot using very few characters. Keeping all these points in mind we chose this one to shoot.

Why the name Putul?

The name is very interesting and can be interpreted in various ways. According to Arnab, one plays with a new doll, takes care of it, keeps it on display until it’s old and broken, and then it’s thrown away. Somehow this forms the theme of the story as some human beings sometimes treat or use other people as “dolls” in a similar way. Arnab has written a number of stories with varied thematic elements and this one conveys aspects of human psyche very well.

How did you decide on the cast?

Sritama happens to be a great performer and a good friend... we love to talk about films, performing arts. She has already made her name with a number of web shows. She seemed perfect for this role as she played this role with an innocence in her look and body language that was needed. Playing the titular character, she brought out all the shades well in the short span of time. Sayan also did a great job. He played Bishu with subtle notes, to keep the feel of a trustworthy boy next door, and eased himself into the character of the city guy. Sirrshha played the other girl at the end and she also did her role well to reveal the twist.

Sritama.

Tell us about the storyline?

It’s the romantic tale of a city guy with a job who visits a village and finds love there in Tithi, an innocent girl who has a past of being in an abusive marriage. To avoid the confrontation there, Bishu and Tithi decide to elope and come to the city to start afresh. Their journey forms the main narrative.

What did you want to convey through the film?

We wanted to convey a tale of irony. The greed for personal gains has overpowered our moral code in this modern age. The film conveys the superficial and hollow relationship that we see in abundance these days.

Sayan.

In general, what makes for a brilliant short film?

A simple and unique idea which can be told in a short duration of time, without extra diversion or details and creates a lasting impression... this is what a good short should be. It should have an interesting hook point with a clear goal and, if possible, a wow factor to end with. That ensures the success of the film-maker to express a good subject in a short span of time.

We see kash phool. Where did you shoot and why pick that space?

We completed the whole shoot in a single day. Early in the morning our small team started our journey and went towards the outskirts of the city. We kept on travelling through a few locations, crossed Garia, Brahmapur, went near Baruipur and left the main road to go towards interiors to find a suitable place. Initially I wanted to start the shoot beside a pond where the characters are sitting and making their plan to escape.

Instead by a stroke of luck we found “kash phool”. It was just before the Puja so we were glad to get such a beautiful rural setting. Most of us from the city were feeling claustrophobic being trapped inside cement structures for months, so it was a huge relief seeing such a vast expanse of greenery and I knew viewers would love the scene.

How challenging was it to shoot during the pandemic?

The key to smoothly arrange a shoot during pandemic is to minimise the number of heads as much possible. We used Black Magic cinema camera but the crew consisted only of two-three people.

The light and camera team helped in setting up props as well and everyone took double responsibilities. We maintained sanitisation and safety protocols in every location we went.

For the city scenes, the traffic police helped as well during the road shots. It was definitely challenging to do the entire thing in only one day and the journey throughout the day in hot and humid weather was hectic. I must appreciate the work put in by the actors, especially for maintaining the energy and performance level.

Were you aiming for a genre mash-up, a love story with elements of a thriller?

Rather than mash-up, here the love angle is presented throughout as a deceiving element to reveal the double-sided nature of the character at the end.

Any good story has certain number of shades to it. For example if you see Tarantino’s Kill Bill, it’s an epic with action, drama, love, revenge all blended in an adrenaline pumping visual feast.

While designing this short, I wanted to treat the audience to a sharp transition of genre, an unexpected plot bend.

Putul has a beautiful romantic track by Dr. Partha that helps to underscore the love story between the main characters and act as a foundation for the betrayal that “Putul” faces at the end. In Arnab’s words, think twice before you trust someone.