Jisshu, Raima to play Uttam Kumar, Suchitra Sen in National Award winner's film

Abhijit Chaudhuri pulls off biggest coup in Bengali cinema with film inspired by diva���s professional life
For decades, they were the last word on screen romance and gave Bengali cinema some of its biggest hits. Now, Raima Sen and Jisshu Sengupta are slated to bring alive the Suchitra Sen-Uttam Kumar jodi in a film by director Abhijit Chaudhuri. The film is tentatively titled Nayika.
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Chaudhuri, who delivered a classic with Patalghar in 2003, is happy that he���s pulling off the biggest coup in Bengali cinema, but stressed that the film was not a biopic.���It is a work of fiction and is inspired by events in the life of Mrs Sen, whom I see as a big feminist star. We will focus on some of the major incidents in her life. Raima plays a diva called Mallika, who rules the industry. The film only focuses on Mrs Sen���s professional career and has nothing to do with her personal life. Hope I can do justice to her persona,��� said Abhijit from Mumbai. Raima is all geared up for a role, which will surely be the biggest challenge in her career. ���This Nabobarsho, it���s my tribute to Dida. It is a huge responsibility and I am working on every aspect so that I can do justice to the role. The script is excellent. Ma (Moon Moon Sen) has gone through it and has given some suggestions which are being incorporated into the storyline,��� smiled the actress.
Apart from Raima and Jisshu, Abhijit has zeroed in on Parambrata Chatterjee, who may play a character resembling director Asit Sen. Saswata has been approached for the role inspired by Suchitra���s husband, Dibanath Sen. Ritwick Chakraborty will essay a character based on Purnendu Patri, who started a project with Suchitra but could not complete it. The hunt is on for actors for the roles based on Supriya Devi, Soumitra Chatterjee and directors who worked with Suchitra closely. Again, there is no direct reference to Uttam Kumar or Supriya Devi in the film. But yes, we will show a hero who is very popular and does most of his films with her. So, one can say there are similarities with Uttam Kumar,��� added the director.
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Music will play a major role in the film. ���We will use some of her landmark songs, but in a stylized manner. The film will focus on the different phases of Mallika���s life and how its course could have been different if certain decisions had been taken,��� said Ujjal Sinha, one of the producers, who has also penned the script with Abhijit. The film will go on the floors in August and has Avik Mukhopadhyay as the director of photography.
Saswata, who is going all out to adjust his dates for this film, said, ���That Dadu (Abijit Chaudhuri) is back in Tollywood is great news. He is super-talented and Patalghar was a classic. I am trying hard to accommodate the dates, as who doesn���t want to play Dibanath Sen?��� he smiled.
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As for the real Suchitra Sen, fact has become myth and myth has turned to legend. She ruled the industry from 1952 to ���77. She was the only actress who had her own makeup van. Such was her star power that her name came before the hero in the credits. She was paid more than every other heroine. No one could call her by name ��� she was always Mrs Sen. How much of her aura will get reflected on screen? The anticipation is building.