One of my fondest memories is of him taking the whole family — 25-30 of us — to watch Andha Kanoon on a very rainy day.Ganguly was born to Samarendra Lal Ganguly and Juthika Ganguly on 25 November 1966. Our family was movie crazy, particularly one of my uncles. I grew up in Delhi in the 80s and 90s. When Dev Anand’s films in the 70s, particularly those with Zeenat. At her peak, she wielded such strong commercial clout that top actors like Dev Anand and Rajesh Khanna had to turn to her to give them that much wanted hit. Hema Malini was the third South Indian actress after Vyjayanthimala and Waheeda Rehman to be a major Hindi film star.
I was interested in Tahader Katha only because my favourite actor was in it, and I realised it’s a totally different world: I could feel the difference in Mithun’s acting in this film, which was real and stark.Chita is a 2005 Bengali action drama film. I didn’t understand the language of Buddhadeb Dasgupta. As a child, I obviously didn’t understand things like direction, camera, editing. I waited to watch the film until it came on Doordarshan. There were film magazines like Mayapuri and it’s in one of those that I first read of Tahader Katha.
Presenting you the video song of Yeh Andha Kanoon sung by Kishore KumarTitle : Yeh Andha KanoonSinger : Kishore KumarMusic : Laxmikant-PyarelalCast : Rajinik.It also opened up these other kind of films—Ghatak, Ray, Adoor, Shaji Karun. In the 1980s, the composer duo LaxmikantPyarelal had Lata sing their biggest hits'Sheesha Ho Ya Dil Ho' in Asha (1980), 'Tu Kitne Baras Ka' in Karz (1980), 'Kitna Aasan Hai' in Dostana (1980), 'Hum Ko Bhi Gham' in Aas Paas (1980), 'Mere Naseeb. Mithun Chakraborty Rambha.She starred in films such as Ankush (1986), Apne Paraye (1980), Ahista Ahista, Shaukeen, Woh Saat Din, Namak Halaal and Yaadon Ki Kasam (1985).
Dasgupta’s daughter, Alokananda, the composer, and I have a mutual friend he told me that Dasgupta wanted to speak to me. A production still from one of Dasgupta’s shootsYears later, Dasgupta would approach me for a role when I was in Venice for the film festival for my film Island City. A whole new world of films had opened up. A few years later, I was watching films at the British Council or the French Embassy in Delhi, or using the student pass to watch as many films as possible in the film festival. I must have seen Dasgupta’s Uttara on one of those Sunday afternoons. I wouldn’t understand them, but I would watch them nevertheless, sometimes dozing off, and waking up again.
I started talking to monkeys. Every morning I used to climb up the tree and come down for lunch — which would often be rice, dal and omelette — and go up again. My character is of a postman who renounces everything and goes and joins monkeys and starts living with them in a tree.We were in Purulia for two weeks for the shoot. I was told I have to act with monkeys. It was a 5 minute call, during which he asked me if I am afraid of monkeys. He introduced himself and I was starstruck.
He connects with animals, thinks that’s where he belongs. Goja is a postman, he was a wife and suddenly one day he has an epiphany that all this is pointless. All his films are about these dreamers, who don’t fit into these societal boxes. I thought the character was very Darwinish.
The rest of the day you are chilling or rehearsing. He would shoot only two shots a day—one in the day in the twilight, and one in the evening. At least, that’s how it was in my head.I have worked with Vishal Bhardwaj, Subhash Ghai, Sanjay Gupta and Nandita Das among others but Buddha da’s process was completely unique.
The whole day went to do just do that. The tracking trolley was created on the tree for the camera to revolve around it. His shots are complicated, so the whole day would go into preparing the shots.I remember the local tribal people built a bamboo ramp on the tree.
Otherwise the whole film is just track, trolley and one-takes, shot in one lens: a 32mm. Can you believe it? There’s probably just one close-up. He must have done it in some 43 takes. And just one take.Our next film Urojahaj had around 42 scenes in total.
They know they can always take another shot. People generally cut in between a shot, they are not bothered so much about focal length etc. A still from ‘Urojahaj’He would never take extra shots, unless and until the DOP is making a mistake. Buddha da is the only guy I have seen who had this mad, mad way of shooting.
Working with Buddha da made me look at his films with new eyes. The camera would come, there would be a close-up, a mid, character would exit the frame, the camera would go up—all in one take. I have never seen track (100 metres) and trolley so long. The cinematographer, Ashim Bose, would amazingly incorporate all his ideas in one shot. Of course, there would be a lot of rehearsals.
When I came back, I found a note in my room. Imtiaz Ali’s family lives in Jamshedpur and one day I went for dinner to their place. We would go back home, then get a call two days later. Sometimes he would pack up in the afternoon because he wasn’t feeling well.
Buddhadeb Dasgupta, in what turned out to be his last film, is telling me, “Boss if you don’t do it right, I am fucked.” I was under a lot of pressure and next morning, he told me that I am not getting the character yet. If you fail, I fail.” I was freaking out. Before the shoot he had told me, “Chandan, this film is resting on your shoulders. We were 10 days into the shoot. I couldn’t sleep that night. Sanyal with Dasgupta.I broke into a sweat even though it was winter.
It was almost like being scolded by a man, a teacher, a father. So I worked on that on a subconscious level. “If you look clever, this film won’t work,” he told me. He told me the character needs the innocence of a child.
It was a magical trip for me in 2018 to spend that whole winter with Buddha da. Sometimes for continuity, I would just keep the costume aside, not take a bath and pass out and let the sweat dry. I didn’t want people to say ‘Who is this actor, and why has Buddha da worked with him?’I think I lived in that costume for 45 days— two jeans, one jacket and two shirts.
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