Bengal has been home to many talents who have not only brought global attention to the state, but have also been instrumental in reshaping its art and culture. One such figure was actor Soumitra Chatterjee, whose demise last November left a permanent void in the world of cinema.
The veteran actor, before his unfortunate departure, was part of a biopic on himself. Titled Abhijan, the biopic has been directed by actor-director Parambrata Chatterjee. The film, which was pushed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, is set to screen at the London Indian Film Festival on 26 June. Ahead of its screening, we spoke to Parambrata, who was excited about the film releasing for the first time.
“It feels very special. When I was studying in England, I used to pass out from BFI (British Film Institute) and thought that someday my film would be shown there too. BFI was always a special place for me and now The dream is finally on the verge of coming true. However, it is a bit disappointing that I will not be able to attend the premiere in person. Having said that, it is also quite exciting as the film will be screened in front of a lot of people who will Will be making it for the first time.”
However, Parambrata, who had posted a long note on social media condoling the demise of Soumitra Chatterjee, it was not easy for him to finish the film without his ‘Udayan Master’ (a reference to the film Hirak Rajar Desh).
“It was not easy. After spending a few months in Kolkata, I had to go to Himachal for a very long shoot, and it was difficult for me because I had become attached to my city and my home. In the meantime, his illness and later The hospitalization was extremely unfortunate. I was in constant touch with Poulami Di (Soumitra Chatterjee’s daughter), and when I heard that her condition was stable, we were relieved.
“Unfortunately, just before I returned to Kolkata, he passed away. The dubbing of his part was left incomplete. However, our sound designer did an excellent job of using our location sound, which is naturally very fuzzy and scratchy, and mixing it with other’s dubbed voices to create a smooth result. It made us re-watch his scenes so many times, and at that point I couldn’t believe the man was no more,” he said.
Recalling their time together, Parambrata added, “It would be difficult to share a moment from the shoot as there was so much to do and so little time. Before the shoot, I used to meet him every week for three months. In the evenings, We would talk and that was the basis of my research. This was the moment when we would share our anecdotes and experiences: from art to cinema. We would discuss poetry, theatre, politics and life in general. There were countless such moments Therefore, to miss one would be doing injustice to the other.”
“Soumitra Jethu (Uncle) was working for more than 60 years, not only as an actor but also as an artist, poet, painter and a politically conscious human being. He was a completely different personality.”
Abhijaan’s theatrical release has been stalled due to the pandemic. Abhijan, which takes its name from a famous film by the legendary actor, is Parambrata Chatterjee’s 11th directorial venture. It has an ensemble cast of Soumitra Chatterjee, Jisshu Sengupta, Sohini Sengupta, Paoli Dam, Tanushree Chakraborty, Sujan Mukherjee, Prosenjit Chatterjee, Basbadutt Chatterjee, Rudranil Ghosh, Kaushik Mukherjee and the director himself.
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