Indo-French film weaves love story on hospital fire backdrop

KOLKATA: He is an NGO worker from France and she a nurse in a Kolkata hospital. She nurses his fractured leg and gets him back on his feet. They fall in love but before they can unite, she dies in a midnight fire at the hospital. 'Burning Calcutta', a trilingual Indo-French film now being shot in the city, has shades of a real-life tragedy that occurred two years ago.But the film, which has got two foreign actors in the lead, has more to it than just the fire and the city, according to director Kajal Chaudhury.
"It's a love story set in Kolkata and the hospital fire is just the trigger. It is more about love and relationships," said Chaudhury, who is based in Paris since 1994. He, however, admits that the AMRI fire in 2011 was the catalyst for the story. In fact, Chaudhury had rushed to the hospital after he watched the news on TV. "I happened to be in Kolkata then and couldn't stop myself from visiting the spot. It was a traumatic experience for the patients' families and the tragedy kept haunting me for months. I have been planning to make a film in the backdrop of the fire ever since," he said.
British actor Mathew Rutherford plays Jean Yves, the French NGO worker, while French actress Marion Ossent portrays his friend Charlotte. Suparna Malakar plays Rimita Ghosh, the nurse who falls in love with Jean in the film. For the two actors from abroad, shooting at Purple Movie Town studio on the southern fringes of the city has been an 'enlightening' experience. None had ever visited India before but are acquainted with Indian films. Rutherford, in fact, recalls having watched the 'Mahabharata' on TV back in the Nineties. "It was a colourfully produced epic that I loved. Then, of course, I have watched Shah Rukh Khan's films. Bollywood musicals are enjoyable," he said. Even though he hasn't watched any of Ray's films, Rutherford is aware that Kolkata is the maestro's city. "So, it's nice to be shooting here."
Marion, on the other hand, arrived in the city a week before shooting commenced. She even travelled to Santiniketan last week and tried local food. "I am all excited because this is my first full-length film. So far, I have acted in short films back in France," she said.
For Rutherford, 'Burning Calcutta' is his sixth film. An actor on the London stage, he has so far played varied characters on screen. "I have played a romantic lead and even a psychopath," said Rutherford, who is also a musician. He is taken by the sleek Purple Movie Town studio and found the shooting quite methodical. "They have got all the necessary departments and shooting here is no different from any other part of the world," he said. And he has been gorging on local food as well. "I have fallen in love with dal, potatoes, ghugni, rui maach and mishti doi. I also love the vegetable mix that they serve at the studio. It's all been khub bhalo so far," he said.
Marion said she would love to explore the city. "So far, we only had the chance to visit Park Hotel and a few other places which I can't name. I would like to go around the city the moment we are through with the shooting," she said.
'Burning Calcutta' will have the actors speaking Bengali, English and French. The latter part of the shoot will be done in France, according to Chaudhury. "It will hopefully be released in Kolkata next year," he said.