This story is from January 21, 2015

A Dev or Prosenjit can never be bigger than my film: Kaushik Ganguly

It's been such a long journey for Kaushik Ganguly. From his first script in Class IX, to his first role ��� as an extra in Gurudakshina! ��� it's been a life full of surprises. But the storyteller in him has never run out of ideas. With Chotoder Chobi releasing this Friday, the director spoke to us about his inspiration, working for TV and how he never wants to be predictable.Excerpts:
A Dev or Prosenjit can never be bigger than my film: Kaushik Ganguly
It's been such a long journey for Kaushik Ganguly. From his first script in Class IX, to his first role ��� as an extra in Gurudakshina! ��� it's been a life full of surprises. But the storyteller in him has never run out of ideas. With Chotoder Chobi releasing this Friday, the director spoke to us about his inspiration, working for TV and how he never wants to be predictable.Excerpts:
Rangmilanti, Shabdo...
you've made films with emerging actors before.But Chotoder Chobi is the first time you're working with a lead pair that has no prior film exposure. Is there any pressure?
The best part is, Chotoder Chobi has already got the biggest possible stamp of approval at IFFI, where Dulal Sarkar, who plays Khoka, the male lead, won the best actor award. So, there can be no question about the quality of acting in the film. The other thing is, my actors may be small in build, but over the past few weeks, wherever they've gone, they've been real crowdpullers. They're almost like stars and people are reacting to their presence. Their appeal and connect is just amazing.
We've seen how Arekti Premer Golpo and Shabdo won you awards, accolades and recognition. With that in mind, tell us how important Chotoder Chobi in your career.
You could say that with Chotoder Chobi, my journey as a filmmaker will begin again. What makes this film special is that it can't ever be reproduced. Shabdo was special for its subject, Apur Panchali for the handling of archival matter. But in our world, there aren't too many stories like Chotoder Chobi, which deals with the troubles that midgets face in daily life and how they surpass them and still manage to dream. The dwarves are outcasts in the true sense of the word ��� nothing in this world is made to their size. Our houses, the furniture, our modes of transport -buses, trams -everything reminds them that they are misfits.


Even something as essential as the commode that we use daily , poses a problem for them. This is such a real issue, but no one thinks about it, talks about it. This is the world that Dulal and Debolina (the female lead) inhabit. They auditioned for their roles and did workshops for three months before I started on the film. But not even once did I hear them complain.
Also Read: ���5 dwarfs reveal how Chotoder Chobi changed their lives
How important is a star cast? Chotoder Chobi has no stars at all.
Even when I made Shabdo, how many people knew Ritwick Chakraborty? Very few of us knew Ardhendu Banerjee before I cast him in Apur Panchali. I think that not having a star actually helps a film. It lets the actors slip easily into the shoes of their characters. When a Prosenjit Chatterjee is playing Lalon Fakir in Moner Manush, a lot of effort has to go into transforming him into the character, with the hair, makeup and styling. If such a film then becomes successful, you have to give credit to the actor and director for making the transformation possible. It is a risk that can't be taken every day . As soon as the posters are put up, the discussion on the streets is about how different a star like Prosenjit looks in it. See, even I want to work with Prosenjit, Dev or Mithun. But it's my failure that I've not managed to write a story worthy of their stature. With due respect, in my film, they can never be bigger than my poster. It's my measurement of my own work that however big a star you might be, you can never be bigger than my film. In my project, you have just one identity ��� that of an actor.
All you need to know about Chotoder Chobi
Kamaleswar roped in Dev for Chander Pahar. Srijit got Prosenjit on board for Jaatiswar. Isn't peer pressure ever an issue?
If you talk to my producers, you'll know that my films are what you call 'choto chobi'. They are shot over 15-20 days, and as a result, the financial risks are lower. If these films then travel to festivals and win recognition and awards, they bring back something for my producer that can't just be measured in monetary terms. The best part is, even my peers recognize this. Does that mean that there is no sense of competition? Of course there is -at least for me! When Srijit's films become blockbusters, or when Kamaleswar's satellite rights sell for a hefty amount, I too feel the urge to match that. After all, none of my films have got that before. I remember when I saw the houseful board at Navina for Khaad, I was completely thrilled. It's not something that I had seen earlier.

So tell us, how did a Ramakrishna Mission student and a teacher of Bengali become a filmmaker?
Even in childhood, I wanted to be an actor. I would ask friends to click photos of me on their cameras. When I was in Class IX, I started writing scripts. At Ramakrishna Mission Narendrapur, this was celebrated with a lot of pomp and splendour. We actually organized a mahurat! Someone who had got sweets from home, distributed them. Someone made a clapstick out of cardboard. All my friends believed I would make it big. In college, I started doing the rounds of studios. My father, Sunil Gangopadhyay, played the guitar and was well known in the industry. After some running around, I managed to meet Anjan Choudhury and Haranath Chakraborty. Because of baba, I got some khaatir. They'd ask me to have lunch at the studio canteen. Finally, I was asked to report to the shooting of Gurudakshina. It was like a dream come true. I felt this was the moment I had been waiting for. Then, on the day of the shoot, I was asked to take off my shirt and wear a panjabi for a scene. I still remember Satabdi Roy and Ranjit Mallick were shooting a song. Hours passed, and I stood there. I was so na��ve that I did not understand that I was actually part of the crowd. When shooting got over around 9 pm, I asked if I could go home. The director said I could, but I would have to come back the next day . When I asked for my shirt, they told me to collect it the following day . I realized much later that I did not get my shirt because I was the continuity artiste and they wanted to ensure that I would turn up the next day ��� if only for my shirt. That day was the beginning of my detachment from acting.
Also Read: ���Dwarf from Bengal wins Best Actor at IFFI
Did writing scripts and direction come naturally after that?
A senior director once gave me some advice. He told me that Bengali zamindars in real life look like commoners. But in a film, a zamindar is always an Uttam Kumar or a Basanta Choudhury ���never a Rabi Ghosh. He also told me that since I was a decent writer, I should stick to that. This was the time I started writing for TV , for people like Ashok Viswananthan and Shyamal Sengupta. They would ask me to write and rewrite things. But scripts were very long and elaborate. One day , when my father saw a script, he told me that I was actually writing in such detail that it was like directing a shot. He was the first one to tell me that I should try my hand at direction.
You also quit your job as a full-time teacher to make a career in the industry. It must have been a very big step.
Oh it was! Churni (Ganguly , wife), who was already an established actress then, had married a schoolteacher and I betrayed her by quitting my job. I left my job as a Bengali teacher at St James School when I got the opportunity to work in Mumbai for TV. The only industry person who supported me all out was Anjan Dutt. He said, ���Go ahead and do what you want to do." Though I worked with some of the biggest names on national television ��� Smita Jaykar, Benjamin Gilani, Priya Tendulkar, Avtar Gill ��� for over a year, the channel I was working for suddenly shut down. By then both of us had taken a flat on rent in Lokhandwala. Churni had even signed three serials. Every day , she would leave for work, while I stayed at home. Gradually, I fell into depression and started feeling homesick. Finally , one day I told her that I wanted to come back to Kolkata. It was at this point that Churni made the biggest possible sacrifice ��� she quit all her serials and came back with me. I'm guilty in a way, I did not stay back for her.

What happened next?
The best part was, though I had been evicted from Mumbai, back in Kolkata, my condition was what foreign-returned doctors face. I was in high demand; everyone started calling me for proposals. Almost all the productions started getting the go-ahead.While I had taken up a teaching job, I was simultaneously working for TV . It was backbreaking work, and after three years I realized I would have to make a choice. I quit teaching full time and got into direction in 2000-01. It has been a very long journey , but since I've seen so many ups and downs, my insecurities have never really left me. I always worry about money . What if my mind stops generating ideas after a few years? What will I do? The fear of intellectual bankruptcy haunts me constantly .
You spoke about being detached from acting. But you're also one of our best actors today.
But then, our industry can function perfectly without good actors, isn't it? Why did no one need Ritwick Chakraborty before Shabdo? He was always brilliant. How does Tollywood do without Sudiptaa Chakraborty? What recognition have Churni, Ananya Chatterjee, Laboni Sarkar got? All of them and many others are such great actors that roles should be written for them. I feel that we have learnt to ignore good actors.
Also Read: ���Film on banished writer Taslima Nasreen adjudged best
Finally, your film's release will be followed soon by the release of Nirbashito, Churni's directorial debut. Is she ready for the barbs that Kaushik Ganguly ghost-directed her film?
There is a popular belief and let me share that with you. People say that Aparna Sen's 36 Chowringhee Lane was actually made by Satyajit Ray; Rituparno Ghosh's Unishe April was made by Aparna Sen, my Arekti Premer Golpo was ghost-directed by Rituparno -and they'll say Nirbashito has been made by Kaushik Ganguly . I've told Churni to be ready to hear this. Yes, the concept of Nirbashito was mine, while the script and direction is by her. She is very strong technically and it was I who failed her as the producer of Nirbashito. Even as she was working on the film, she had to cope with the post-production of Apur Panchali, as well as the pre and post of both Khaad and Chotoder Chobi. We have a small team and she had to do many things on her own.Today she is travelling with her film to festivals and she doesn't need my help at all. In a few months, she's matured so much as a filmmaker.
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