"Making a film is like giving birth"

Aniruddha Roychowdhury on his journey in Tollywood, next project, regrets and more
He���s turned 50 this month and it���s not been a life without regrets, says AniruddhaRoychowdhury. ���Why can���t I be SrijitMukherji or Raj Chakrabarty���s age? There are so many stories to tell,��� he says. Some of those stories and more tumbled out last weekend over a lazy lunch with the director.Excerpts:
Dev, who stars in your next film, has been felicitated with the MahanayakUttam Kumar Samman by the state government. What is your take on this?
Well, for any award, the choice of winner finally depends on the jury. All I can say is that I���ve worked with Dev in BunoHansh and I am floored by his dedication. He is outstanding in the film and his portrayal of Amal, the guy-next-door character, was never affected by his superstar aura. My respect for him has doubled and I want to work with him again in my next. When I received the National Awards for Antaheen and Anuranan, many said I didn���t deserve them, while others were happy for me. So, kuchtoh log kahenge, logon kakaamhaikehna (laughs).
A large contingent from Tollywood is present at almost every public programme organized by the state government. Why don���t we ever see you on such a platform?
(Laughs) I live in Mumbai for almost 20 days every month. I was in Brazil for a month to watch the World Cup. I���m also very busy with my next project, which will be a Hindi film. ShoojitSircar is working on the cast and other things. It is a film with 60-odd characters, so casting will be a huge task. And anyway, do people see me any parties or social gatherings? Apart from work, I enjoy single malt, golf, music and spending time with friends. And whenever possible, I pack my bags and travel.
Buno Hansh was about to release on Poila Boishakh but got postponed, as Dev fought the elections. Did it affect the film in any way?
Actually, it was a blessing in disguise, as we got more time to work on the post-production. If a film has potential, it will run, no matter when it is released. There are many films which get a Puja release but sink at the box office. Anurananreleased on July 6, when Kolkata was completely waterlogged, but it still worked. If there is a story to tell, the film will do well.
Tollywood is passing through a bad phase and most of the movies are failing at the box office���
If there is no love, this phase will not pass. Let go of envy, Bengali films will again enjoy a golden period. We are all trying to pull each other down. My dida used to tell me to pray for everyone���s well being. There is a line in AparajitaTumi which goes, ���Ekakhailey pet bhore, monbhorena���, and I strongly believe that. You can only grow with others, not alone. Raj Chakrabarty���sBorbaad is releasing with my film and I sincerely pray that his film too works well at the box office. The audience should watch both. I really want my collegeaus to grow. I was the only director who came forward to produce AvikMukhopadhyay���sEktiTararKhonje. I had sleepless nights after I watched Phoring and BakitaByatigato. What brilliant films Indranil (Roy Chowdhury) and Pradipta (Bhattacharyya) have made! After watching these two films I asked myself what I was doing ��� would I be able to direct films like them ever? Kudos to both!
At 50, any regrets when you look back?
(After a pause) I feel I���ve wasted many years and now my attention span has come down to zero. Earlier, I used to read a lot but now I take two days to read two pages of a book. I am so ignorant and there���s so much to learn, so much to read. I wish I had taken studies seriously and not stared at the sky in the maths class or at paintings in the chemistry class. The other nagging regret today is: why am I not SrijitMukherji or Raj Chakrabarty���s age? Kotogolpo bola baki. In my first job, I was a door-to-door salesman selling mosquito repellent and my remuneration was `30. But the experience I gathered then is priceless. I became friends with so many interesting people, who had their own stories to tell and now, I plan to make a film on that. I also envy those who can sing well and play musical instruments and also people who can cook well.
Aparajita Tumi, your last film, didn���t work well, as many said it was slow and like a US tour guide. How hopeful are you about this film?
Filmmaking is like giving birth to a baby. A child can never be ugly or bad to a parent. Not all children become Satyajit Ray, Isaac Newton or Tagore, but they are all precious to their parents. Every film of mine is like a child. There is 100% honesty in each of my projects and I���m hopeful before the release of every film. I feel AparajitaTumi did pretty well at that time in terms of business and it is my favourite film till date. Second is Anurananand then Antaheen. BunoHansh is about a journey and people will find similarities with today���s society. They���ll see how people face peer pressure and get trapped. I found so many similarities with my own childhood when I read the original story. When I was in college, someone offered me a parcel and told me that if I could deliver it at the right place I would get Rs 1 lakh, but if I got caught, I would be in jail for three years. I never had the nerve to do it! Ami Amalkechini��� (After a pause) Dev, TanusreeChakrabarty, Srabanti, Gargi Roy Choudhury, Moon Moon Sen, SudiptaaChakrabarty ��� all are outstanding in their own way. Raima Sen did a guest appearance and I remember how unwell she was the day we were shooting, but still she went ahead. We shot extensively in Bangladesh, Bangkok, Pune, Kolkata and Mumbai. So, it is like a road movie. The audience in Bangladesh wants the film to be released there. Let���s see how things shape up. People there are mad about Dev and they want to watch good films.
Your wife Indrani decides on all things financial. Is it true?
Indrani puts me in my place. She looks after the production side of my company. There are clashes between us, as there are between any director and producer and we solve those professionally. But our work is never carried home. There, she is the perfect wife, who is also an amazing cook!