Screen foley artist journeys to neverland

Kolkata: In the first Bengali film, presented by Hemlock Society maker Srijit Mukherjee having extensively used sync sound technology, `Shabdo` protagonist Ritwik now undertakes the journey to a neverland in unconventional `Bakita Byaktigato`. "Haven`t been part of any such project, with such out-of-box thinking and film making style, in past. We shot real time while travelling to Tehatta in bus, with passengers conversing, boarding and getting down and hawkers peddling their products. All in quest of a village which may turn out to be as elusive as happiness in our life," Ritwik told PTI here.

"This is the first time a Bengali film had been shot realistically without any set props and real life characters frequenting the screen in between as the journey of cast meanders through the village roads," young director Pradipto Bhattacharya said. Shabdo actor Ritwik said, "We just acted ourselves before the camera in Bakita Byaktigato. Not in typical filmy style. And have you heard of any Bengali flick totally shot in sync sound? There has been in Bollywood, but here for the first time. "And with extensive outdoor location shoot, there is this break from monotony in every sense, in framing, in shooting jerk to convey the real time feel on field and most importantly in scripting," the Necklace actor said. Discounting any comparison with his character of a foley artist in Shabdo, Ritwik said "Both Tarak in the previous film and Pramit in Bakita Byaktigato are crazy and incredibly passionate. And both do have a journey, but in different milieus. And here the similarities end." "While Tarak``s journey is mostly inward in the domain of soundscape, Pramit`s is more physical where he undertakes a real expedition to a village he had seen in dreams for filming his documentary and the quest for love follows," Ritwik said. "However as a person, as a stage actor, as a character actor not used to larger than life roles, can say I have traces of myself in every portrayal," he said. Revisiting his childhood days at the native hamlet in Nadia district, Pradipto said "I had once got down at a place where I did not want to and the next one hour was terrible as I got lost, not finding the village was heading to. The film`s story takes off from there after unfolding the beginning and the cast." Pradipto, who said the film`s story can be described as two different worlds co-existing within each other, discounted any similarities with Aparna Sen`s 15 Park Avenue from the psyche point of view. "There can be no comparison between our protagonists in two movies, Ritwik`s character of a documentary maker and Mithi (Konkona Sen Sharma) in 15 Park Avenue who are poles apart," he said. Dubbing the project with a haunting title which leaves open the question how many pages of one`s life can be `classified`, Ritwik said "This film will spawn a new genre of Independent cinema having been released through theatres in Kolkata." "Yes if it can be simultaneously released through other media including you.Tube, no harm. The more people see it the more it will serve the cause of cinema," he said. The film also stars Tollywood screen goddess Madhabi Mukherjee, and seasoned actors Churni Ganguly, Abhijit Guha and veteran Debesh Roy Choudhury among others "I am sure that across the entire world of cinegoers, diaspora and non-diaspora Bengali audience, everyone will relate to one or two characters. We are happy to have Srijit and Swastika (Mukherjee) on board," Satrajit Sen of Tripod Entertainment said. PTI