Srijit Mukherji tells t2 about the thrills and chills of making 22shey Srabon, which releases on September 30...

How has your second film shaped up?

I feel it is technically a better-made film than Autograph. Also with the script, the music and the scale I’m happier than I was with Autograph. I’m slightly apprehensive about how the Bengali audience will take to all this darkness, violence and gore because it’s not a very soft thriller. Then again I place a lot of faith in the Bengali audience that loves a good story. It’s not a very conventional thriller. At some level it’s a commentary on how mainstream society treats marginal literature. How violence is a part of our everyday matrix, contrary to the image of Calcutta. It has significant sub-plots that deal with love and relationships that would make 22shey Srabon a potent combination of a couple of genres. I’m counting on that.

The cast for the key players is quite an intriguing mix…

Yes, there’s Prosenjit, Parambrata and Rajesh Sharma — all three playing cops. Abir (Chatterjee) and Raima (Sen) play journalists and Goutamda is a mad poet where the meaning of mad depends on which side of the asylum you’re on. June has a small cameo.

Did you have the director-actor success combo in mind while casting Prosenjit again?

That was a factor I cannot deny but the script essentially decides the casting. If I felt Bumbada and somebody else fit the bill, I would definitely want to work with Bumbada because I share a very good wavelength with him. For 22shey Srabon, the role required the charisma of Prosenjit just like the other role required the innocence of Parambrata.

There are quite a few intimate moments involving Raima- Parambrata and Raima-Abir. Was it tricky handling those?

The rapport on the sets was very friendly and all three were like the best of buddies. There was no question of discomfort. Raima’s very chilled out and she doesn’t raise a brouhaha about all this because she understands it’s part of her profession to imbibe the relationships that come along with the character. All three were comfortable. People are opening up to world cinema and realising that if aesthetically done there’s nothing obnoxious or vulgar about intimacy.

After Autograph’s phenomenal success with its music, are you satisfied with the feedback to the 22shey Srabon tracks?

I’m ecstatic about the 22shey Srabon album. I personally feel it’s a better album than Autograph. Musically as well as lyrically, it’s more versatile and complete. A lot of the storytelling happens through music, which is why I’m calling the film a musical thriller. Autograph picked up very late so if we look at the comparative period, it’s actually doing better than Autograph going by record sales, downloads and hits on YouTube.

Is there a 22shey Srabon music video underway?

Yes it’s being shot by Parambrata for the song Ei srabon sung by Rupam (Islam) based on a concept developed jointly by Param and me. I wanted someone to have a fresh take on the song and who could do it better than someone who’s been an integral part of the film, had the experience of shooting music videos and been a filmmaker himself? The video will feature Rupam and some of the main actors and go on air next week.