Koel and Parambrata in Hemlock Society

Srijit Mukherji is back home from location-hunting in Cairo for his next film Kakababu even as he gears up for the release of Hemlock Society. A t2 chat...

Is Hemlock Society going to be a dark, morbid film?

No. At a surface level it might seem so but it is a very inspiring film and the only dark bit is in the humour of the film. It’s a black comedy. But overall, it’s a very uplifting film. Let my audience not be disillusioned or misled by the apparent theme of the film.

Which is...

Hemlock Society is a school that teaches and trains people in the art of committing suicide successfully. Koel (Mallick) wants to learn the art of committing suicide in the school run by Parambrata (Chattopadhyay).

It is definitely my most emotional film till date. Some of my crew members have been telling me that it is my best! I am very happy with the performances, specially with the lead cast, Parambrata and Koel. Music-wise, Anupam (Roy) has broken his mould. There are five songs and I am very happy with the album. We are gearing up to release it in May-June.

How has the bubbly Koel fared in a dark comedy?

I am thinking of writing ‘introducing Koel Mallick’ in the title credits (laughs)! She has undergone a total image makeover. Her acting style and pattern has undergone a change; she is fabulous, wonderful.

While shooting, the process was slightly autocratic. I used to always pressurise her to be Meghna (Koel’s character). Koel is a very bubbly and happy person, and Meghna is very prone to bouts of depression... someone who has not had the perfect life. So I told her the first day itself that you are too happy right now, you need to be unhappy. I used to consistently and constantly badger her to get into the zone. In fact that became the practical joke of the unit!

With Param, obviously, it was much easier because I have worked with him before (22shey Srabon) and we share a common language. He knows what is the exact pitch, what is the exact tenor that I want. He too is brilliant here.

Your third film is also your first without Prosenjit...

Bumbada (Prosenjit) is a person with whom I share a tremendous rapport and as it happened in Autograph and 22shey Srabon, the actor-director chemistry showed on screen. Now it would be unfair to confine this to just an actor-director relationship. Bumbada is my mentor and he has guided me on how to go about things like scheduling a film, costumes and production logistics. He was the second or the third person to hear the script of Hemlock Society. In fact I also discussed the possibility of him doing the film. But if Bumbada feels that another actor can do a role better than him, he will recommend him.

Do you write scripts keeping Prosenjit in mind?

Not necessarily. There’s only one script where I had thought of Bumbada and written, and that’s Autograph. I have about eight to 10 scripts ready right now. There are many scripts where Bumbada will not fit in. Autograph was the only film I knew if he wouldn’t do it, I wouldn’t make it.

Your next film Kakababu has Prosenjit in the title role. Don’t you fear reaching a saturation point?

No. I would grant more intelligence to my audience. If an actor can pull off the role and make it his own, it doesn’t really matter. It might be the hundredth film together. The only thing you take home is whether the actor has been able to deliver in terms of the character and the director has also been able to deliver his vision to the actor.

Bumbada is one person who is exceedingly hungry. If you look at him for the last four years, he has played Lalan Fakir (Moner Manush), Arun Chatterjee (Autograph), Prabir Roy Chowdhury (22shey Srabon) and Pradip (Aparajita Tumi). You can’t run a pattern through these four roles. And now he is doing a masala film (Bikram Singha) where he has a double role. The range he has exhibited gives him an advantage over other actors who have tried to stick to their comfort zones. But there are lots of other actors also and I think of them in various types of roles. Like Mithunda (Chakraborty). We are in talks for a film.

What plans are afoot for Kakababu?

It’s obviously going to be on a big scale. It’s an adventure story and, given our resource constraints in Tollygunge, we are trying to put up a good show. We are contemplating doing Mishar Rahasya first.

Kakababu isn’t set in a certain period like Feluda or Bomkesh. Isn’t half the battle won there?

See, most of the stories cover the ’80s and ’90s. I am looking at it more as Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes model, so I am going to set it in 2012 and I want to reinterpret or reinvent the character of Kakababu and Santu and give it my own touch. But obviously sticking to the spirit of Kakababu and Santu, I will give it a contemporary twist. Kakababu could have a mobile, he could be Net-savvy, know how to use Google! There is going to be a certain old-world charm too. I might make Santu a much more hip and happening guy so that people can relate to him. Kakababu would be in the age group of late-40s to early-50s.

Since Feluda and Bomkesh were taken, I really wanted to do Professor Shanku. But Babuda (Sandip Ray) decided to go ahead with it. The only other favourite character of mine which was left was Kakababu. Bumbada was also very keen. He too suggested Kakababu, which was a great co-incidence. We have taken the rights for three stories — Mishar Rahasya, Paharchurai Atanko and Jongoler Modhye Akta Hotel. For a period of five years I am going to do three, or one every two years

Do you like putting your characters in uncomfortable zones?

Comfortable zones, comfortable themes don’t excite me much. Today if I want to tell a story, I would like to tell a different story differently. I feel there are certain themes which have not been exploited in Bengali films. Discomfort actually keeps me going!

Are you making a film called Dozen?

It’s tentatively titled Dozen. I will probably start shooting end of the year. It’s an adaptation of a play written by me and was called Mind Game, which was inspired by a play titled 12 Angry Men.

What kind of films can we expect from you in future?

I want to make a sports film, a horror flick, science fiction. I think I need to make five films a year to keep up with my ambitions. But that’s not possible! (Laughs.) Comedy is a very difficult genre and I am still very young. I am 34 and I have miles to go. I am just a beginner.