It was rather late at night when we landed in Kolkata.
But we still called up Joya Ahsan. Around two in the morning, we were at
Srijit Mukherji's house. It was the first time we met this fabulous
filmmaker in person, and truth be told, we felt awkward showing up at
such an odd hour. But he was such a friendly host that we soon sank into
an 'adda'.
Rajkahini is the latest movie of Srijit Mukherji.
Joya Ahsan is one of the artists in this film, whose bold role, which
she magnificently performed, earned her kudos as well as controversies.
Here's a glimpse of the 'nocturnal interview' Star Showbiz took.
Tell us about Rajkahini.
(SM): When it comes to
the subject of the partition of 1947, popular culture has focused mostly
on Punjab. This has been the dominant image.
But obviously there is the Eastern side of it, which is rather
neglected. So, I had wanted for a long time to make a film regarding the
partition.
I got inspired reading works of people like Saadat Hasan Manto, Ismat
Chughtai and many scholarly articles on partition. And I sought to make
a movie about the marginal, subaltern people during that time.
Rajkahini is about those who have not made it to the history books.
The film is based on the historical premise that a man named
Sir Cyril Radcliffe was given the difficult task of drawing the border
to split a country, and that he had to do it hurriedly.
He did it with little concern for the demographics and cultures of
the people, basing the criterion on majority-minority population ratio
in terms of religion.
And, the line he drew went through rivers, forests, villages and even
houses. With these facts in mind, Rajkahini takes off into a fictional
story of such a house and its people. The house is a metaphor for the
country.
How did Jaya Ahsan become a cast of this movie?
(SM): We
met in Singapore. It was there I told her the plot. By then I was
already aware of her work. I loved her performance in Aborto. Then, she
gave me some of the telefilms she had done.
Among them, Tarporo Angurlata Nando Ke Bhalobasey blew my mind. I
have referred this tele-film to a lot of people. After watching it, I
knew I should cast Jaya Ahsan. Given the right script and the right
treatment, she can do wonders.
Jaya also helped me understand the various Bengali dialects. Since it
is a movie about borders, different dialects were called for, and Jaya
contributed immensely into dividing the script according to the dialects
of people of different regions.
Jaya, what is your take on Srijit Mukherji as a director?
Jaya Ahsan (JA): The
way he managed this humungous project has really impressed me. The main
cast itself was a huge ensemble of 11 female and 9 male artists.
SM: And there were numerous others. Meanwhile, villagers flooded the area. It wasn't easy managing the crowd. And it's a huge zone.
JA: So much so, vendors came to the area selling
things like pani puri, jhal muri and what not! Before we started
shooting, I was concerned whether I could get into that character -
someone who lived at that region in that era.
But given the set - the house we see in the movie - and the intensive
training the artists went through brought the necessary ambience and
mood for it.
SM: From gun fighting to horse riding, a lot of things were taught.
What do you think of joint ventures between East and West Bengal?I
would love that arrangement. There're brilliant makers and artists in
Dhaka and Kolkata. And let's not forget that Bengali is a language that
is spoken by a gigantic population.
I think the legal, logistical and financial details of such joint
ventures are unclear to many. If that can be worked out, the
possibilities are endless.
Anything else you guys want to add? JA: Rajkahini
ought to be brought to Bangladesh. We are part of the history of
partition, and people should know about their own history.
SM: I want to go to Dhaka as soon as possible
because the last time I was there, I couldn't eat hilsa! I think good
food and cricket are two very important things, if not more important
than cinema! And I also want to visit different places, such as
Mymensingh, Chittagong and Bikrampur.
I have read so much about the cultural roots we Bengalis share. I want to go to Bangladesh and experience that for myself.
Interviewed by Rafi Hossain and narrated by Himadri
Photo: RaF; Shahrear Kabir Hemeel
Makeup & Styling:
Farzana Munni; Mukul; AURA
