In Abhirup Ghosh’s film Mrigaya, four cops team up to hunt down a dangerous criminal. The teaser of the film was released recently, and it has created a great deal of buzz amongst fans for a variety of reasons. The teaser amps up the excitement and keeps the suspense intact. The concept of hunting plays a major role in the film, with multiple people hunting each other. Mrigaya — starring Vikram Chatterjee, Ritwick Chakraborty, Susmita Chatterjee, Priyanka Sarkar, Anirban Chakrabarti, Saurav Das and Rezwan — is set to release on June 27. A The Telegraph chat with Abhirup Ghosh...
How's the response to the teaser?
The response has been ecstatic and overwhelming. We had not expected this kind of buzz. It’s great to see that there is genuine excitement among audiences to see the film. We are hoping we can elevate the buzz from this point onwards till the release of the film to ensure next-level impact.
What have been some of the best compliments so far?
People have loved the massy avatars of the entire cast, especially Ritwick Chakraborty and Vikram Chatterjee. We were a bit apprehensive about how audiences would react to our ‘against the type’ casting and mounting of actors, but we are pleasantly surprised by the response. Audiences have really loved the masala treatment and the larger-than-life presentation of our characters. Saurav Das is being appreciated for his menacing turn and shocking look too. Though we have not revealed much details about Anirban Chakrabarti’s character, even glimpses of his action bits and stylised moments are making audiences curious. A lot of audiences have even commented that this is arguably one of the best teasers they have seen for a Bengali film in recent times. Some have commented that this is the kind of teaser that really heats up the market. We are humbled by this response and are deeply grateful.
How did you decide to cut the teaser? What did you want to convey?
Dipayan Roy, who is a master when it comes to the art of cutting trailers and teasers, has edited this one. I had jammed with him for a long time and had told him to cut a teaser that does not reveal too much of the story, but excites the audience by introducing the world of the film and its colourful characters. I wanted to highlight the masala aspect of the film and present the characters in a larger-than-life way. Dipayan did a wonderful job of understanding the vibe of the film.
What was it like to get Ritwick to do the action scenes?
Contrary to popular belief, this is not the first time Ritwickda has done action scenes. However, in Mrigaya, we have tapped into the larger-than-life and cool side of him. His character has a laid-back swagger, which is present in his action bits too. There are some really cool moments which we do not want to spoil at the moment. Ritwickda was extremely cooperative and did all of his stunts on his own, including a very difficult jump attack moment, a glimpse of which has been shown in the teaser. He was extremely flexible and a dream to work with, even in the most physically gruelling scenes.
Your stylised action scenes have come in for a lot of praise. What did you have in mind while designing them?
I have grown up on a staple diet of larger-than-life action films starring the likes of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jackie Chan. Plus, I am, and have always been, an avid comic book reader. So designing action pieces is exciting for me. For Mrigaya, despite having limited resources, I wanted to create cool, never-seen-before moments which highlight the heroism of our characters.
However, no matter how masala or so-called ‘South Indian’ our action style may be, I have incorporated a lot of elements of Bengali culture to ensure that the action is true blue Bengali and rooted in our local culture. Expect some really nice surprises in the film in this regard. Also, the action in the film is completely homegrown and has been done by local technicians only.
The action choreography has been done by Somnath Biswas (Baban) and his team of fighters, assisted by Chandanda, my action guy since my first film. The action team has really put their blood and sweat into trying to bring my designs to life. We have pushed the limits and tried to create a really good theatrical experience.
You have used the 'motka gorom' dialogue to great effect. What was the idea behind it?
I had been brainstorming with Soumit Deb, who has written the dialogues for Mrigaya, for many weeks to get a memorable dialogue that can be repeated throughout the film as a signature line or catchphrase. Ultimately, he came up with this line and it fit the character played by Vikram perfectly. We wanted a catchy line that is simple to remember and makes a strong impact. The audience has lapped up the dialogue in a big way. We hope the catchphrase reaches out to the wider masses as the release progresses.
