In Ikir Mikir, directed by actor-film-maker Ratool Mukherjee, two people are the prime suspects in a murder investigation. But they have two different versions of the crime. “This film (starring Rupanjana Mitra, Rajatava Dutta, Saurav Das, Deboprasad Halder, Apratim Chatterjee, Anindita Raychaudhuri) is a thriller that takes the form of a maze during the first half and gradually takes an unexpected turn in the second half,” says Ratool. The Telegraph had a chat with Ratool on Ikir Mikir, which streams on MovieSaints from March 4.
Why did you turn to direction?
My father Sanjib Mukherjee has a huge role to play in it since he had shown me world classics right from childhood because he himself is a film buff apart from being a retired Air India employee. Films like Bicycle Thieves, Seven Samurai, Rashomon had a huge impact on me.
Later the transition from being a software engineer to an actor was difficult too since it was a dramatic career switch though I am still an actor and am all ears for interesting scripts. All the more tough was believing that I can make a film leave aside a good one. But Rupanjana (Mitra) has a huge role to play in me becoming a film-maker because she was the only person who believed I can be a good storyteller. I am here to make an impact through my craft with every film I direct.
How was it like working with an ensemble cast of actors?
Saurav Das is the most spontaneous actor of his generation in Bengal. It was a very memorable journey working with him. Once Rajatava Dutta was convinced with my vision he went all out not only with his performance but also with his support towards this film. Rupanjana Mitra is a rock star, my favourite actor and honestly a film-maker’s delight. Working with her not only in Ikir Mikir but also in Palok (2020), my debut short film, was a rollercoaster ride. Deboprasad Halder is the dark horse in this film. I had worked with him as an actor previously but this man is a thinking actor and he would find his own character motivation to deliver a subtle yet believable performance.
Why choose thriller as the first film?
Thriller is my favourite genre but it can backfire too if the film tanks. But I am very confident with Ikir Mikir and humbly would say again that if thriller is your genre then this is the film you were looking for.
(L to R) Ratool, Deboprasad
What is the thought behind the film?
I strongly believe that every film has two aspects. A film should be entertaining enough to grab the attention of its audience and secondly every film-maker has a certain amount of responsibility towards society through the audio-visual medium. In Ikir Mikir we have catered to a social issue which is less discussed. And I feel Ikir Mikir will check both the boxes.
Tell us about the visuals, the framing and colour selection like red.
Raktim Mondal, our cinematographer, has created magic behind the lens. We had chosen red since psychologically the colour red represents excitement, passion, danger, energy and action. We have exactly all these elements in the film too.
Why cast Rajatava as the antagonist?
In a thriller how can I point out who is the antagonist or protagonist?! But Rajatava is a very powerful actor. He has the ability to pull off different characters and his face is very international. I had faith in him and he didn’t disappoint me.
What was your brief to Rajatava?
To forget all the characters he had done before and treat Ranjan Sanyal as his first assignment. I am extremely lucky that he didn’t mind me saying this and took it very sportingly. He being a thorough professional, he actually delivered more than I had expected.
Does the film deal with incidents of child abuse?
Well I wish I could reveal what exactly the film deals with but this film being a thriller, it will be unfair on my part to disclose any part of the story. But all said and done, child abuse is a very serious social issue and needs to be addressed well and that too through an acceptable manner.
Do you want to raise certain questions through the film?
We all have certain questions and rightly have certain amount of prejudice towards heinous crimes and criminals. I have raised a few questions not only as a film-maker but also as a responsible tax-paying citizen of this country. Let the audience decide whether the questions deserved to be raised or not.
Why did you not act in the film?
I wish I could but probably I am not too keen to multitask at this point in time. I enjoy my roles as an actor and as a film-maker, separately. I don’t quite imagine myself doing both at the same time. There are many people who have done in the past and many directors will direct themselves in the future too. But I don’t work like that.
Who is your favourite director of thrillers?
Alfred Hitchcock is my all-time favourite thriller director. His films had a neutral perspective, which had worked wonders.
Ikir Mikir Trivia
My birthday was celebrated after midnight on the first day of the shoot by the whole cast and crew, which was very memorable for me. It had set the tone for teamwork, which we carried till the last day of shoot.
When we were recording the title track of the film we all had a feast. It was (vocalist) Nikhita’s (Gandhi) idea and she loves having Bhetki Paturi.
The sound designing of the film was done, then undone and again done because Silajit (sound designer) and I were not satisfied initially.
