On a cloudy Thursday morning, Anjan Dutt and Mamata Shankar started shooting for Saptaswa Basu’s new film Deri Hoye Geche in Bolpur. Dutt plays a 70-year-old retired cop who is a loner. He is smart and confident but carries a sense of regret. A bit unkempt and messy, he lacks the touch of domestic life. On the other hand, Shankar plays a homestay owner who is sophisticated and has set her life within a framework of discipline. A t2 chat with director Saptaswa Basu...
Why did you decide to direct this film?
I always choose a story which I believe is suitable for good cinema. I wanted to shoot a love story with time as a theme... how we change and how our small decisions can start a chain reaction that affects our destiny. This film is about the journey of two characters, destined to meet more than once in different phases of life. What happens in those moments forms the story.
It’s not very verbose and is completely designed with cinematic treatment. Directing such a narrative is exploring new zones for me and I have tried to keep my style of filmmaking while executing this love story. Most definitely, I will avoid all possible cliches of so-called family dramas that have been tried and tested numerous times. This film will bring a spectrum of new elements to the screen. That is what I set out to do in this directorial and thankfully got complete support from producers Saptarshi Sen, Dr Uday Modi and Shubhadeep.
What was the genesis of this love story?
One of the producers, Saptarshi Sen briefed me about a concept of a beautiful love story of a retired policeman. We sat over it for days, trying to figure out the pointers which make it different and unique from other films. Apala Chowdhury developed the story with him and created a story arc which was liked by us and the primary cast members, Anjanda and Mamatadi. Arnab Bhaumik developed the story into a screenplay and referred to many real-life incidents of policemen, in which his co-writer M. Rana contributed. The story had an organic progression and refinement for over five months. This kind of pre-production actually makes the foundation of the film very strong. Even though it’s a love story, it has elements and scenes of police procedurals and surprise moments where I can play around with the genre.
Why did you decide to cast Anjan Dutt and Mamata Shankar?
From the first page of the script, we visualised Anjan Dutt and Mamata Shankar as a couple who are meeting after 40-plus years. Anjan Dutt plays Rishi Chatterjee (retired policeman) and Mamata Shankar plays Sanghamitra Guhathakurta (a homestay owner). Anjanda is charismatic and is a natural choice for the role of an ex-cop, who is now in search of lost love. He doesn’t want to be a lonely man who is filled with regrets. This character is reciprocated by Mamata Shankar, who has a serene and soft aura, and represents a sense of class, tradition and the values of our culture. Her guardedness is the challenge that Anjanda’s character must overcome to build a connection and take the story forward.
What were their reactions when you approached them to play the roles?
Anjan Dutt is very critical in choosing a role. We have been in touch for a few months and have discussed a couple of stories that I want to make with him. When this film came up, he did a complete scrutiny of the character and how the story unfolds. To our delight, he loved the script and got very involved. He acts in a film when he is absolutely sure of the human elements present in the film.
Mamata Shankar also follows a similar process of reading the script two to three times before finally agreeing to it. She always tries to visualise the scene while reading and finds purpose or motivation in every dialogue or activity that is given in the scene. She liked the character of a homestay owner... we have not seen her in such a role previously.
Tell us about their characters.
Anjan Dutt plays Rishi Chatterjee, who now reflects on the people he has lost connection with over time and sets out to meet his lost love, Sanghamitra Guhathakurta, played by Mamata Shankar. She is loved by the local people and is considered an inspiring figure. She has lost her husband and now runs the homestay with a young girl, Sayanti, played by Apala Chowdhury. When Rishi comes to her doorstep as a guest, an interesting discourse of laughter and emotions follows, which forms the crux of the story. Arijit Dutta plays Twarit, a policeman and friend of Anjan Dutt, and he also brings an important arc to the film.
What are your thoughts on their on-screen chemistry in films over the years?
I have enjoyed their on-screen chemistry in all of the films they have done. I like Kharij and Grihajudhha the most, both for their content and the style of story that was told on film at that time. They always seem to be a natural pair on screen and do not feel repetitive. Whether we see them as Anjan and Mamata in Kharij or Bijan and Nirupama in Grihajudhha and so on, they bring the characters to life and make us believe in the reality of the scenes. They have worked hard over the years on the craft and are truly gifted. Their on-screen chemistry has developed and aged well over the years.
What are their strengths as actors?
They do not remain restricted by the boundaries of the screenplay. Images communicate, and therefore they try to trim the dialogue and add bits in between lines, creating a subtle and nuanced performance. We have practised the scenes with them for quite a number of times, and they went on to add layers of subtlety that make the characters flesh and blood.
Why are you shooting the film in Bolpur?
Bolpur has been a logical choice for this shoot due to the seed story. Rishi is a retired cop who used to operate in Calcutta, while Sanghamitra has left the city and now runs a homestay in a nearby place in Bengal. She represents our culture, roots and heritage, and therefore, in an organic manner, her homestay should be in a place like Bolpur. We will capture the area in a fresh palette to make it stand out among other films that have been or are being shot here.
