Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt during a stroll on the seafront promenade at the Gateway of India in Mumbai. This was one of their rare public appearances during their India trip. (AFP)

Hollywood’s star couple Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt may have long left India after their stay here in 2006 for the shooting of A Mighty Heart but Calcutta boy Saurav Dey is reaping the rewards of the visit now. The third-year student of Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) has won gold for directing a documentary called Chasing Angelina.

What makes the award (best student documentary) special is the fact that it comes from the Indian Documentary Producers Association, the largest body of documentary makers, headed by director Jahnu Barua.

“The idea was to make a reality-based adventure documentary chronicling what happens when such international celebrities come,” says Saurav over phone from Pune.

The three-minute film is the product of six days of vigil in front of Le Meridien Pune where the star couple had put up with the rest of the film’s cast and crew.

While a huge posse of journalists from across the nation and abroad virtually laid siege to the hotel, Saurav and his team of four classmates (cameraman, still photographer- cum-assistant, sound recordist and editor) tracked the media circus, speaking to everyone from autorickshaw drivers to paparazzi. “The day after we spoke to the biggest name among the international paparazzi, Sam Relph, he was roughed up by the bodyguards. There was a ruckus as the Indian journalists protested the assault,” recalls Saurav.

Their biggest moment came on a day when a buzz went up that Brangelina would show up. “The entire media contingent was waiting in the basement where two cars were parked. But something told us they might come out through the back. Soon, we were facing an autorickshaw carrying the entire family. It stopped for a moment due to a glitch and there we were within handshaking distance of the duo.” The team’s only movie camera was posted at the entrance alongside the media, but Saurav got a wealth of exclusive shots on his still camera. “Of course, we used those.”

The students tried their best to get in touch with Angelina. “Unlike the others, we were not in it for commercial reasons. So I really thought she might relent after we sent a letter through her bodyguard.”

That didn’t happen. But Saurav isn’t complaining. “Last year, FTII had fallen behind NID in this award category. It feels good to bring the gold back to the campus,” says the youth who is next headed for Kerala where Chasing Angelina will run another race in the Kerala International Video festival where it has been chosen in the competitive section.