‘I want to make films that reach out to a wider audience’
The National Award for best feature film has gone to Antaheen. The decision has taken everyone including its shy young director Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury by surprise. With just two films, Anuranan and Antaheen, Aniruddha has emerged as the voice of a new Bengali cinema. He talks to Subhash K Jha:
Did you expect the National Award for Antaheen?
I don’t make my films for any other reason except to tell a story. I don’t think of success or awards. But suddenly when you get a pat on your shoulder like the National Award you are elated. The entire team of Antaheen is over the moon. It’s very difficult to believe that my film has been declared the best film made in India. At the box office too Antaheen had done well, thanks to the melodious music by Shantanu Moitra and other glossy elements.
I want to reach out to a wider audience than conventionally permitted to Bengali film-makers. We film-makers get peanuts to make films in Bengal. I want to make Bengali films that reach out to a wider audience. And it’s happening.
How did you manage to infuse so much gloss into your product within such a limited budget?
Everyone cooperated. Shantanu Moitra didn’t charge me a single penny for the music. Rahul Bose returned the money i paid him. Sharmila Tagore didn’t charge a single paisa. We didn’t have money to hire studios. So we shot on actual locations in the sweltering heat of Kolkata in July.
The money we had went into production design. Everyone was so supportive. My writer Shayamal Sengupta understood my thoughts although i am the most inarticulate person in my unit. Abhik Mukhopadhyay who has won the National Award for cinematography also contributed considerably to my vision. Everyone owns Antaheen.
Antaheen moves away from BanglaliteratureandtheHindi film formula, the two favourite cinematic playing fields in Bengali cinema?
Antaheen spoke the language that we know. If we go back to the Uttam Kumar-Suchitra Sen starrers 30 years back, they also had the same kind of format. Both my films so far – Anuranan and Antaheen – were based on my own experiences. My third film, Aparoopa, too will be a love story based on my own experiences. I’m also adapting two stories of Sunil Gangopdhyay. So i’ve three films on the anvil.
Do you feel the National Award will give the film a renewed life?
I’d like that. Bengali cinema should be released across India without the clumsy dubbing. Antaheen was shown in a Bangla version in Mumbai, and it was liked. The impact of a film should not depend on the spoken language.
(टाइम्स ऑफ इंडिया,दिल्ली,29.1.10)
I don’t make my films for any other reason except to tell a story. I don’t think of success or awards. But suddenly when you get a pat on your shoulder like the National Award you are elated. The entire team of Antaheen is over the moon. It’s very difficult to believe that my film has been declared the best film made in India. At the box office too Antaheen had done well, thanks to the melodious music by Shantanu Moitra and other glossy elements.
I want to reach out to a wider audience than conventionally permitted to Bengali film-makers. We film-makers get peanuts to make films in Bengal. I want to make Bengali films that reach out to a wider audience. And it’s happening.
How did you manage to infuse so much gloss into your product within such a limited budget?
Everyone cooperated. Shantanu Moitra didn’t charge me a single penny for the music. Rahul Bose returned the money i paid him. Sharmila Tagore didn’t charge a single paisa. We didn’t have money to hire studios. So we shot on actual locations in the sweltering heat of Kolkata in July.
The money we had went into production design. Everyone was so supportive. My writer Shayamal Sengupta understood my thoughts although i am the most inarticulate person in my unit. Abhik Mukhopadhyay who has won the National Award for cinematography also contributed considerably to my vision. Everyone owns Antaheen.
Antaheen moves away from BanglaliteratureandtheHindi film formula, the two favourite cinematic playing fields in Bengali cinema?
Antaheen spoke the language that we know. If we go back to the Uttam Kumar-Suchitra Sen starrers 30 years back, they also had the same kind of format. Both my films so far – Anuranan and Antaheen – were based on my own experiences. My third film, Aparoopa, too will be a love story based on my own experiences. I’m also adapting two stories of Sunil Gangopdhyay. So i’ve three films on the anvil.
Do you feel the National Award will give the film a renewed life?
I’d like that. Bengali cinema should be released across India without the clumsy dubbing. Antaheen was shown in a Bangla version in Mumbai, and it was liked. The impact of a film should not depend on the spoken language.
(टाइम्स ऑफ इंडिया,दिल्ली,29.1.10)
No comments:
Post a Comment
न मॉडरेशन की आशंका, न ब्लॉग स्वामी की स्वीकृति का इंतज़ार। लिखिए और तुरंत छपा देखिएः