Sabyasachi Chakraborty and Soumitra Chatterjee: The evolution of Feluda

Wanted: more of Feluda at 40.

Razor-sharp mind, piercing gaze, whipcord physique and a bhadralok to boot, through the swirl of Charminar smoke. The urbane Bengali has never had a better brand than Prodosh Chandra Mitter since 1965, when he first sprung to life on the pages of Sandesh.

Only last year, the ?private detective? stole the thunder from Tollywood?s hero no. 1 in the heart of the city. If Prosenjit held fort in rural Bengal with as many as five hits (Surya, Gyanrakol, Paribar, Agni and Ram Lakshman), Prodosh Mitter?s exploits in Bombaiyer Bombete swept city cine-goers off their filmi feet.

Buoyed by the success of Bombaiyer Bombete ? it ran for 20 weeks at Priya after a December 2003 release and later forced a rerun ? and the rising clamour for another Feluda film, director Sandip Ray plans to get back behind the camera in the winter of 2005.

This time, the chosen Satyajit Ray sleuth saga is Tintoretor Jishu with the tried-and-tested core cast of Sabyasachi Chakraborty (Feluda), Parambrata Chatterjee (Topshe) and Bibhu Bhattacharya (Jatayu).

The story revolves around a priceless painting by 16th Century artist Tintoretto being chased by an international smuggling racket. ?Tintoretor Jishu has a very good climax. One has to keep that in mind while filming a story. Last time, I chose Bombaiyer Bombete because I don?t think any other Feluda story has a better climax,? says Sandip.

?Besides, this year-end marks the 40th anniversary of the first Feluda story, Feludar Goyendagiri, published in Sandesh, and I think we should celebrate it,? he smiles.

But has Feluda evolved from Satyajit Ray?s Sonar Kella or Joy Baba Felunath to Sandip Ray?s Bombaiyer Bombete or Tintoretor Jishu? From Soumitra Chatterjee to Sabyasachi Chakraborty? In nuances, rather than in nature, feel most.

?Our Feluda was more of a gentleman, the one in Bombaiyer Bombete is more aggressive. But the modern approach is in sync with the times,? points out Kamal Bansal, whose father RD Bansal had produced Joy Baba Felunath.

Sabyasachi, who feels the Feluda magic touches ?eight to 80?, agrees: ?The gentle mien was fine for 1970s. But for today?s generation, exposed to a lot of on-screen violence, Feluda needs to be a little aggressive. That?s why Sandip Ray showed Feluda making kung-fu moves and bloodshed which Ray never showed in his films.?

And there?s a lot more action in store with Feluda, Topshe and Jatayu chasing goons in the alien land of Hong Kong.

?Tintoretor Jishu has to surpass Bombaiyer Bombete, and I feel viewers would want more action in it,? says Sandip.

There will be international gangsters this time but Feluda?s Bangliana (Bengali-ness) will be intact, promises Sabyasachi, whose only concern seems to be the thin time wedge between Bombaiyer Bombete and Tintoretor Jishu.

?Has Ocean?s Twelve matched the success of Ocean?s Eleven, or Spider-Man 2 that of Spider-Man? I feel a sequel becomes more interesting with a large time-gap. But then again, Feluda films are more like a series like James Bond. Each one is different,? he counter-argues.

If Sonar Kella, made in 1974, was a bigger success than Joy Baba Felunath, which came four years later, the buzz about Bombaiyer Bombete was phenomenal, as it marked Feluda?s comeback after 25 years.

But there is considerable curiosity about where Sandip Ray takes Feluda from here. ?My cast is ageing and I think I can make a few more Feludas with them,? he feels.