Mrinal Sen-Anjan Dutt Unknown behind the scenes of Anjan Dutt’s Chalchitra Ekhon dgtl

On Mrinal Sen’s centenary year, Anjan Dutt will dedicate the film ‘Chalchitra Aha’ to him. Last year (2023) on a scorching hot afternoon in April, I rushed to Anjandar’s known address in Benepukur after receiving an invitation to listen to the freshly written script. Even then I did not know that I have to play a role in this film. I will be involved with the film in various roles throughout the shooting. From various interviews, I only knew that the film will be about Anjanda’s relationship with his ‘mentor’ Mrinal Sen. Before this, he could not even want to make a documentary about Guru. So Mrinalbabu’s conversation with him during the shooting of the film ‘Chalchitra’ and everything that happened, he arranged in his own script one after the other. The excitement of being with such a document of history was undoubtedly greater than the heat of April.

After listening to the script, it was the first thought that Anjan did not worship Mrinalbabu in this film by putting him on an expensive seat. They argued, they quarreled, they made friends, they didn’t even hide their private conversations – just like their relationship actually was. In the seventies, Anjan ran the International Exceptional Theater in Kolkata. There are references in the film to the productions of John Jane, Peter Weiss, Muller, Brecht in the Max Muller building. His relationship with Mrinalbabu became closer around the banning of John Jane’s play as obscene. Anjan used to say all this. But this time the boys of the play team will have to be found. His responsibility also fell on me.

I attended the next day’s workshop with several friends. On that day, I found out who was doing moneylender Suprabhat Roy, young Anjan was being done by Shaon Chakraborty. Shekhar Das plays the role of Uppal Dutt, Shubashis Mukhopadhyay plays the role of Mrinalbabu’s production controller. Rupankar will play Mrinalbabu’s brother-in-law Anupakumar. A youth workshop was held that day. Anjanda said, to think of the saddest thing in everyone’s life. Many people cried while talking about it that day. Later, they were chosen to form the theater troupe of the young Anjan in the movie. Anjanada wanted famous Chinese film director Wong Kar Wai’s film treatment for the film. To understand that usage, we all sat together and watched Wong Kar Wai’s pictures.

Mrinal’s son Kunal Sen knew that the film would be shot in Geetha-Mrinal’s flat. Even then, the sale of the ground floor flat did not come up. I know that the film is being shot in that flat. I learned that Nonapukur’s tram will be hired for shooting. Another house in Beleghata will recreate several scenes from Mrinalbabu’s ‘Chalchitra’. Anjan is making the entire film at his own expense. So the film will be made with a small budget. Because Mrinalbabu believed that only good films would be possible when his budget was small. And the film will cover the celebration of Kolkata, the city that he did not want to go to any city in the world. Because this city is his ‘El Dorado’.

After much discussion, the moment came. Anjanada said, I have to play the role of Mrinalbabu’s still photographer Subhash Nandi. His name will be changed in the film. I appeared in Mrinalbabu’s ground floor flat for shooting every morning. At first glance, I didn’t recognize Anjanda in white pajama-punjabi with thick glasses frames. Mrinalbabu himself seemed to be walking around as if in his familiar four-story flat. Neighbors were also shocked several times. Later they realized that the shooting was going on. Mrinalbabu means streets of Kolkata, be it streets or alleys, many people were surprised to see Anjanda during the shooting – he looked so much like Mrinalbabu. During the shooting in front of the Scottish Church College, the way Anjanda got into the car with a quick shot for fear of being ‘mobbed’ will be remembered forever!

Anjanda brings out one moment from her memory. That memory is being shot slowly. Cinematic moments are created by past memories and present labor. This experience was unmatched in this film.

Anjanda said with her eyes on the camera, ‘Action!’ I did my performance that day as instructed. I went back for a moment to a historical moment in the seventies. Even after saying ‘cut’ that moment will stay with me forever. After the shoot, while going through Mrinalbabu’s books, I saw the book ‘Oedipus Rex’. When I opened it, I saw that he had given it to Anjan. Before returning, I went to Mrinalbabu’s bedroom once. In the house where he spent the last days of his life, the ‘Infant Terrible’ of the world cinema is this man. He may have talked to his friend Marquez or Gadar from the phone kept next to him. I was surprised to see everything. Then the eyes went to the window next to the bed, from that window you can see the Second Hooghly Bridge, Victoria Memorial and St. Paul’s Peak. Mrinalbabu’s dream ‘El Dorado’, Kolkata! In the city where he spent his life almost unemployed as a youth, he fell in love with Geeta Sen on the Uttarpara Bridge, the girls named Mala-Bela enter his picture with the no-return society one night, the haunts of Dash or Vasant cabins, the afternoon singing school where the red flowers bloom. The neighborhood, the treachery of entering the checkpoint with a camera, the munshiana of bringing photo frames from newspapers – Badal Sarkar, Barin Saha, Sandeepan, IPTA, Bampantha – all these were his world in the city…passion, ‘engagement’. , argument and ‘criticality’ were the mentality of the city in his film…

The next day’s shooting was at Anjandar’s house. I could not recognize the house when I entered the house, because the people of the shooting unit, the equipment, were scattered all over the place. Along with the music, Neil Dutt has also done the film production. Told me to bring an old guitar that day, which would be dismantled at a special moment. I appeared like that with the guitar. After a series of shots, the moment finally came. The guitar was smashed during the fight. He felt a slight pain. But I consoled myself, the guitar had aged too. So this movie at least captures his old body, for life.

The film premiered in the international section of Nandan Kolkata International Film Festival. last year Awarded too. Many personalities were present that day. At the end of the film, I was reminded of the days of shooting by seeing the applause and tears of the people. Anjanda has released a chapter of her life on the screen. Today may not be that time. The city has changed. But the ‘crises’ have not changed, believes Anjan. So ‘reel’ and ‘real’ time have been merged in this film. Because Mrinalbabu himself did not believe in this division, forever. Many of us dream but sometimes they come true. Anjanda’s reading of the script on that first day is still vivid in my eyes… The film is releasing on May 10. Maybe that day I’ll realize again, if dreams come true, how much bigger than real life it can be… Maybe how real El Dorado is…