The film Raktabeej 2, directed by Nandita Roy and Shiboprosad Mukherjee, offers a tantalising glimpse into a world marked by tension, confrontation, and resilience. More than just an action thriller, Raktabeej 2 explores the emotional and cultural bond between the two Bengals and takes a bold stance against terrorism and divisiveness. The film delivers adrenaline-pumping sequences, emotionally charged moments, and a much-anticipated face-off between the hero and the anti-hero, a clash that is both thrilling and thought-provoking. A t2 chat with Nandita Roy and Shiboprosad Mukherjee...

The film's narrative is rooted in empathy...

Nandita: Raktabeej 2 is one of the biggest films we’ve made, not just in terms of production, but in terms of expectations. The audience today wants something more than just a spectacle. They want meaning, depth, and relevance. This film is our answer to that call.
Shiboprosad: Our aim has always been to entertain while engaging the audience emotionally and intellectually. This film addresses a truth that is often lost in the noise that terrorism knows no nationality. It’s about time we stop attaching labels and focus on standing united. Raktabeej 2 is not just a film, it’s a call for solidarity in turbulent times, delivered in our unmistakable storytelling style that Bengali audiences have come to love.
Nandita: The budget was always a challenge. From casting so many actors to shooting abroad, we needed to ramp up the scale.
Shiboprosad: My office colleagues would say, ‘Dada, you must remember that you are also Shiboprosad, the producer.’ And I was like, ‘I understand, but we need to do this urgently since director Shiboprosad is asking for it.’ Then they would remind me that producer Shiboprosad had specially told them the day before not to give him what he wanted (laughs).

Why did you decide to shoot some of the songs abroad?

Shiboprosad: It was necessary for this film... for the story, which went beyond India and Bangladesh. The audience will learn why Ankush and Koushani’s characters live abroad. We shot the song Chokher neele in Thailand on an island, and we were the first to shoot a song there. In fact, no one had shot anything there before. The location was almost 700 kilometres away from Bangkok. It was raining heavily when we reached the place the day before. The next day, when we woke up, the sun was shining brightly. It was a miracle... and it stayed sunny and bright till we wrapped up the shoot in the evening. When we got into our cars, it started raining again. It was unbelievable. The dedication of the artistes was incredible. It inspired us to take the film to a different level.

What was Didi’s reaction when you told her about the idea of the song shoot for Chokher neele?

Shiboprosad: I had to convince Didi (Nandita Roy) first, and that was so tough. I approached the topic gingerly and told Didi that I was thinking of such a sequence in a song (where Mimi steps into the frame in a bikini for the first time in her cinematic journey).
Nandita: I categorically told Shibu that it was not possible.
Shiboprosad: Then I started talking about the song, the theme, the images that are conjured, and how we can create the visuals.

How long did it take you to convince Didi?

Shiboprosad: It took me seven days to convince Didi.
Nandita: I told him that the visuals of the song have to look aesthetically beautiful. We all worked together to make her look extremely beautiful.

What about the item number? How did Shiboprosad convince you to film it?

Nandita: I had said no firmly. ‘Our film cannot have an item number,’ I had told Shibu. Initially, I was not ready to listen to the song.
Shiboprosad: I requested and made her listen to the entire song, which has many layers of meaning.
Nandita: They had to change certain portions of the lyrics... finally, I liked the changed version... see, I love item numbers. Nussrat (Jahan) has performed it very well. I enjoyed the song, and I want to entertain my audience.

What was the most challenging part of the shoot?

Shiboprosad: Shooting the climax. It was really tough. It was difficult to shoot the elements that were a part of the climax. It was very risky. When we were shooting a certain part of the climax, Didi told me that she did not want to look at it. It was so risky. Didi looked away since she got so nervous. Each and every stunt has been performed by the actors, and they have done an amazing job.
Nandita: They wanted to do the stunts themselves. It was very commendable on their part. But it was very scary also. They were so excited. I don’t know what happens to guys when they have to perform action scenes!
Shiboprosad: The story is connected to that fight sequence... every action is interlinked... and only we know the larger picture. The stunt choreographers only get to see a certain section of the story. So we had to be very careful when such fight scenes were being performed. After taking every shot, I would make Didi and Zinia (Sen; screenplay writer) look at them. Didi looks after the final edit. Raktabeej 2 is based on a lot of research work, so we had to be very careful with protocol, gestures, and dialogue, and Zinia was there on set to guide us.

At times, if I wanted to take a cinematic liberty, Zinia was there telling me not to do it. It was very important to take care of all the details. We also had to constantly remind the actors of all these details.

Do you feel someone who is not familiar with your films will be able to point out that films like Icche, Gotro, Bohurupi and Raktabeej 2 are made by the same directors?

Shiboprosad: The Bangaliana is our trademark. Maybe we are making a thriller, but that is only the outer layer. Inside, you will find the essence of Tagore, Nazrul, and Pannalal’s songs. There will be a Durga Puja, and stories based on relationships.
Nandita: That is our signature. Relationships form the core of our films. We always focus on values.

Will you ever make a film like Bela Sheshe again?

Nandita: Why not? Think of the variety that we have to offer.
Shiboprosad: We gave a Praktan after Bela Sheshe. Then there was Posto. It is always about the subject that moves us. For us, the biggest film from Windows in terms of scale is Haami. The content was explosive. And that has always been the case for us... our content presides over everything else. We will never make a thriller just for the sake of it. There has to be a bigger message. It is all about telling the story with a social message in a new way that entertains people.