MOON LIGHTING
Shoma A Chatterji
Tarun Majumdar, the maker of wonderful films in Bengali like Dadar Keerti, Balika Bodhu, Sansar Seemante, Phuleshwari, Nimantran, Bhalobasha Bhalobasha spoke to SCREEN in Kolkata (December 7, 2007), about the condition of Bengali mainstream cinema and about his latest release Chander Bari What is Chander Bari all about?
It is my spontaneous response to the breakdown of the joint family system in urban India, which is also true of the world today.
The story revolves around a joint family based in Bhawanipur in Kolkata that stands out as an epitome of unity and harmony against the backdrop of decaying joint families and mushrooming nuclear families that break away from the extended family to strike it out on their own. I have great respect for the joint family system, despite the drawbacks espoused for its downfall.
And what is your response?
I feel strongly about the effect of this breakdown on the children. They are the ones who suffer when the family breaks up. The aunts and grandparents, who shared in their upbringing moulding their ideology positively, have been replaced by the mother and father and in case of single-parent families, only one parent.
Parents of nuclear families are so busy making ends meet that children do not remain their priority in terms of quality and quantity time.
Senior members such as grandparents also suffer.
You can plainly see how old-age homes are increasing in numbers each day a joint family breaks up.
The values children imbibe in a joint family system are strongly tinged with sharing everything - the joys, the sorrows, food, clothes, gifts and goodies. These values take a tumble in a nuclear family where each one learns to fend for himself or herself.
So a joint family forms the focus of the film?
Yes. My film portrays a very happy joint family where the seniormost member, a gentleman in his ‘eighties, is so loved and cared for by every other member, that they make him the centre of all their festivities and fun.
There is no neglect of senior citizens in this family. Each one feels for the other members. Of course, there are obstacles to be crossed, battles to be won, and fights to be resolved. But they go through it all and come out victorious, heralding the triumph of the joint family.
When other neighbourhood families have put out their lights, maybe metaphorically, the lights in this house are brightly lit, and passers-by point out to it to describe the home as “The Home of the Moon” meaning Chander Bari.
Which actors have you chosen to play the numerous characters in the film?
Gautam Kundu is the producer and his banner is called Rose Valley Telefilms Limited, a very upcoming media production house in Tollygunge today. Kundu has produced films like Jara Bristitey Bhijechhilo and Pitribhoomi recently. Chander Bari features 80 actors of Bengali cinema ranging from Haradhan Bandopadhyay who is in his nineties now, followed by Soumitra Chatterjee and Ranjit Mullick among the veterans, and Rituparna Sengupta in the female lead. Playback singer Babul Supriyo makes his screen debut as the hero of this film. Koel Mullick and Rishi Kaushik make the other romantic pair.
Weren’t you skeptical about casting Babul Supriyo in an important role in his first ever screen role?
Why should I? I map my characters while I am writing the screenplay. I can visualise which actors will suit which role and do my casting accordingly. I am not rigid about casting a given actor definitely without whom I feel I may not make the film at all. I am flexible about my casting but I do have a certain conception and framework about the characters. This helped me in the past to choose actors who have debuted in my film and gone on to make a name for themselves. Why should Babul Supriyo be an exception? If an actor performs poorly in my film, I take complete responsibility because I think it is my fault for not having been able to communicate with him.
What about talent then?
Talent is there in every form of art. But no other art demands as much of investment in terms of human and money capital as cinema does. This huge amount places tremendous pressure on the director much before he begins to shoot his film. The biggest pressure is the constant uncertainty and anxiety about whether the film will be a commercial success or not. Ritwik Ghatak and Rajen Tarafdar are two classic examples of filmmakers whose audience has been deprived of the experience of watching their films because almost all their films were commercial failures. If talent in an actor was everything, how did Satyajit Ray create an actor like Soumitra Chatterjee, tell me? I am not berating Soumitra Chatterjee’s acting talents. I am only pointing out that he may never have become what he has had not Ray given him that first break in Apur Sansar. The same goes for actors like Sharmila Tagore and Aparna Sen.
Has filmmaking enriched you as a human being?
Yes, of course it has in many ways. I will give you an example. Alo was shot extensively on location in three or four villages in Birbhum district of West Bengal.
This is around 25 kms away from Bolepur where Tagore’s Shantiniketan is located. The villages are - Nabagram, Benachithi, Kooltode and Palashi.
Palashi is a Muslim-dominated area. But the warmth and the hospitality they extended to our unit were unbelievable. They looked after us as if we were part of the family. They took special care of the ladies in our unit and even lent us an intricately embroidered nokshi kantha - a rare work of handcrafted quilt, for the shooting in full faith that it will be returned after its use for the shoot is over.
Where would you get warmth like this in any other profession?
© 2007: Indian Express Newspapers (Mumbai) Ltd.
