‘My most spontaneous and honest film till date’
For Anjan Dutt, Mrinal Sen was more than a director who gave him his debut film, ‘Chaalchitra’ (1981). Having assisted him and known the master filmmaker for 43 years, Dutt shared a personal bond with the auteur. On his 100th birth anniversary, Dutt is all set to come up with a feature film, ‘Chaalchitra Ekhon’, which is a ‘collage of his experiences with the man and the city’.
‘Chaalchitra Ekhon’, financed by Dutt and his son-musician Neel Dutt, is in the final post-production. Sharing a photograph with the maestro, Dutt mentioned on social media how it is his ‘most spontaneous and honest film till date’.
“The reason is simple. I am not telling any fictional story. It is just a collage of my experiences with the man and the city as spontaneously as possible. I am also convinced that most of the audience will not be comfortable since many do not have much idea of my past. Yet I believe there is an audience in the world who care for a certain kind of personal cinema. A small amount but big enough for me,” said Dutt, who went on to work with Sen on ‘Kharij’, ‘Ek Din Achanak’, ‘Antareen’ and ‘Mahaprithibi’.
He mentioned how his recent production has brought him a sheer joy to be ‘spontaneous’, something which is rare. He said no ‘typical’ producer would have allowed him the spontaneity because none of them have ever watched Sen’s ‘Chaalchitra’, which was acclaimed for its content and performances at the Venice Film Festival.
“I have told many stories like ‘Bow Barracks’, ‘Bong Connection’, ‘Madly Bangali’, ‘Chalo Let’s Go’ and ‘Dutta Vs Dutta’ and murder mystery series. But like most films, they are stories that are well thought out and have a conventional beginning, middle and end. Films like ‘Ami Ashbo Phirey’ or ‘Finally Bhalobasha’ were attempts to break away, which didn’t go well with those who prefer rounded stories. Cinema or series is surely about telling made-up stories, which I will go back to again. But the sheer joy of being able to be radically spontaneous is rare. The only reason it has been possible is because we financed it ourselves. No typical producer would have allowed us to do what we did. None of them has ever seen Mrinal Sen’s ‘Chaalchitra’. They would have forced us to be far more dramatic. I cannot be sentimental or over dramatic in my tribute to my mentor, Mrinal Sen. I have to be as real and honest as possible,” said Dutt.
Meanwhile, Sen’s son Kunal congratulated Dutt and said he is looking forward to the production. Two other Bengali filmmakers, Kaushik Ganguly and Srijit Mukherji, are also paying tribute to the veteran with their films. While Bangladeshi actor Chanchal Chowdhury will be seen playing Sen in Mukherji’s ‘Padatik’, a biopic on the life of the legendary director, Ganguly pays homage to ‘Kharij’.
