Filmmaker Satyajit Ray’s multiple award-winning crime drama Chiriyakhana, starring Uttam Kumar, is set to be remade by Indian National Award-winning director Anjan Dutta.
Based on Sharadindu Bandyopadhyay’s story featuring fictional detective Byomkesh Bakshi, Chiriyakhana, which was released in 1967, won Ray an Indian National Award in the best director category.
Dutta said his film would have more literary overtones and fewer influences from Ray’s film, especially in the delineation of the character of Byomkesh.
“My film will not be influenced by [the] Chiriyakhana of Ray, and Byomkesh will not be influenced by Uttam Kumar’s style and mannerism,” Dutta said.
He said that his film would be guided by the novel.
Jisshu Sengupta will play the role of Byomkesh, the director added.
Asked about the influence of Ray’s classic, Dutta said: “If someone wishes to make Nastoneer, Tagore’s famous short story, which was made into Charulata by Satyajit Ray, there was no reason to infer that he needed to draw reference from Charulata,” Dutta said.
The director, who also wants to direct Albert Camus’ The Outsider, says he has the script ready.
Dutta said, “While Satyajit Ray had been banking on stories by famous novelists like Bibhutibhusan Bandyopadhya, Sunil Gangopadhyay and Saradindu Bandopadhyay for his films, and Mrinal Sen on Subodh Ghosh and Premendra Mitra, our generation of filmmakers started writing our own stories. But again we are turning back to literary works by our masters.”
