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| Sandip Ray on the sets of Royal Bengal Rahasya with Sabyasachi ‘Feluda’ Chakrabarty |
The mechanics behind the money-spinner...
Mahendra Soni of Shree Venkatesh Films, producers of Royal Bengal Rahasya, tells t2 how they gave Feluda the biz boost.
What prompted you to take up Sandip Ray’s fifth Feluda film?
Shrikant (Mohta) and I had met Sandipda more than 12 years ago when he hadn’t started work on any of the Feluda stories. Somehow it did not work out and he got busy with another film. When we heard him plan another Feluda last year, we approached him again. Previous Feluda films had been released in a very small way. We assured him that we would make Royal Bengal Rahasya a big event in Bengal. We would take it to all the multiplexes, give it the best show timings and told him not to worry about the budget, in terms of outdoor shoots or using special effects. He was very excited and it was a joint production with Surinder Films.
What made you go for such a wide release, from the interiors to beyond Bengal?
We had faith in the characters and that the story had potential in suburbs like Malda, Barasat, Bagnan and Durgapur, if not the deep pockets. The marketing and distribution had previously been very urban-centric. We had the conviction that if pitched well in all these zones, we might have a winner. We took a chance and it has paid off. From Bangalore, Mumbai, Assam and Bihar to Kadamtala, Naihati, Kalyani and Sodepur, it’s doing very well. Now we are planning to release it in Delhi too.
What was your marketing strategy?
We started very early with the theatrical promotions and outdoor campaigns. At least three months before the release, we put up standees and started screening trailers at halls that were running to packed houses. The posters were done in a way that it wouldn’t look like an art film. We also went big on our channel Sangeet Bangla. We spent close to Rs 60 lakh on marketing, while we shell out Rs 20-25 lakh on our other films. We also made good use of social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter to create a buzz, especially for NRBs who don’t get to know about films releasing in their city.
What have the overall collections been till now?
In the first week, we collected Rs 1.5 crore, rounding up to a total of around Rs 3 crore in two weeks. Thirty per cent of the total collection have come from the interiors, compared to past records that show a share of 5 to 7 per cent.
Director Sandip Ray tells t2 what the success of royal bengal rahasya means...
Royal Bengal Rahasya is turning out to be the highest-grossing Feluda film. How are you feeling?
Ekdom bhabini! Since this film has had a wider release, I was all the more worried. Royal Bengal Rahasya is serious, cerebral and dialogue-heavy but the mystery is its strength and that’s what I was counting on. The response is beyond my expectations! I’ve been getting reports from Mumbai and Bangalore to Bihar and the interiors of Bengal... it’s doing very well.
What do you think has worked in the film’s favour?
I wish I knew, I would have tried it in my previous films then! It’s very difficult to pinpoint. This is a film that needs a lot of concentration while viewing. There’s no doubt that Royal Bengal Rahasya is one of the best Feluda stories but it’s also quite complex with riddles. That’s a reason why I had saved it for the last. The story almost had a readymade screenplay and we’ve followed it from start to end, except for the animal killings.
You have deviated from the usual format of revealing the killer and his motives in the beginning. Has that helped?
Had I revealed the suspense and mystery at the start, golper moja ta thakto na... because it’s not about a typical culprit. I thought it best to go by the book. Baba (Satyajit Ray) had started this format of letting the audience in on the mystery and then tracing Feluda’s adventure of nabbing the crook. But Royal Bengal Rahasya would not have had an impact if we stuck to that.
What do the fault-finders have to say?
I have hardly come across any criticism. In fact earlier, I was used to complaints. Either about Feluda turning into an action hero and not using his brain cells or that the audiences weren’t too fond of Jatayu. But surprisingly I haven’t heard anything negative this time. There is also a certain sadness in people of not getting to see the same Feluda team again after Bibhuda’s (Bibhu Bhattacharya) passing.
The making of RBR seems more tight and crisp…
We’ve always been very particular about the making. It is very difficult to please children, especially since hi-tech films are being made internationally. I took the longest time to write the Royal Bengal script. It is so verbose that I had to make it as interesting as possible. Baba’s writing is such that when you read it, you automatically conjure images in your head. I wanted to create visuals that people could connect to, just like the visuals in their mind after reading the book. Benu (Sabyasachi Chakrabarty) helped me a lot in that.
How do you see RBR compared to your previous Feluda films?
Since it’s our favourite Feluda story, we’ve compromised the least. Thanks to Shree Venkatesh Films and Surinder Films, we could shoot in three different locations since the weather was unpredictable; we could use equipment and special effects freely. It was a very smooth shoot.
So are you ready for your next?
Janina! (Laughs.) I have to look for a new Jatayu. Benu has been so well accepted in this film that I’m relieved. Feluda will definitely happen again but we just did two films back to back. Let’s give him a little rest for a year.
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| A scene from Royal Bengal Rahasya |
After days of ‘should I, shouldn’t I?’ Sabyasachi chakrabarty finally has the answer
RBR is breaking all previous Feluda box-office records...
Shuney khub ananda hochhe! (I am so glad to hear that.) Royal Bengal Rahasya is a very good story in the first place. A lot of people had liked Bombaiyer Bombete too, but they did not want Feluda to be James Bond. Sandip Ray directed what Satyajit Ray wrote, except for a few action scenes. It was logical for him to do so. Babuda (Sandip) was apprehensive when he was starting Gorosthanay Sabdhaan where magojastra was most important and since it was well accepted, he chose to go for Royal Bengal which had no action, no real villain. I think that’s what people have been wanting and the box-office results show that.
What do you think has really worked in your favour?
Only Sandip Ray and the making of the film. I was sceptical about myself right from the beginning, but he was confident and he assured me that there would be no adverse comments. And he did it right. Also because of the way Shashanka Palit, the cinematographer, has shot the film... all said and done, I can’t hide my age. Harrison Ford at age 60 did Indiana Jones but the story was written to suit his age. In case of Feluda, there is no scope for such deviation.
But now that the audience wants you back, are you less stressed about feeling like ‘Felukaku’?
I was always very sceptical about my appearance and I still am. My paunch is showing, so are my wrinkles. My gait also shows that I’m ageing. I thought that the audience would be the first ones to point out that Feluda had aged but if they want me, I’ll do one more. But I will have to be more physically fit.
Are you working towards it?
Well, bhunri komate hobey aar hantur jor barate hobey (I will have to reduce my paunch and strengthen my knees). But I hardly find time to go to the gym. Producers here don’t pay enough, so I have to work from morning to night to sustain myself and my family. I say yes to anything offered to me, whether it’s films, theatre or heading any artiste organisation. I eat whatever the units serve and my diet has gone for a toss. That’s why I look like this. Let’s see. I’m trying to get cleverer and hopefully I will get my wits back and start looking after myself, so that the audience gets a better Feluda.
What Shaheb ‘Topshe’ Bhattacherjee is loving about the film...
What are your thoughts about RBR drawing crowds like never before?
This Feluda film has a fantastic packaging. Starting with the story to the way it’s shot, the locations and performance of all the senior actors... Also the amount of money that has been spent on promotion and distribution has helped the film reach the classes and the masses. If I put myself in the shoes of a movie-goer who has not read the book, I would be gripped by the twists throughout the film and the surprise in the end. The whodunit has worked wonders!
What is the one factor that has worked in your favour?
Probably the fact that I haven’t tried too hard to prove a point. Topshe a storyteller and a listener, not an action hero. He can be a wannabe Feluda but can never overtake Feluda in any scene. I’ve tried to retain that innocence in my eyes and wit on the face. And Sandip Ray is happy with my approach.
The best compliment you’ve got so far?
On Facebook, people have been telling me it’s the best Feluda film so far. Some have seen it five times!
Looking forward to another Feluda outing?
Yes, but I did not want the trio to change. I’m sure if we did two more films together, the chemistry would have got denser and the plot thicker but that won’t happen with Bibhujethu (Bhattacharya) gone.
