Tapan Sinha's unfinished dream to turn reel reality

KOLKATA:Eleven months after cine maestro Tapan Sinha breathed his last, the filmmaker'stryst with celluloid continues. A movie that he had envisioned but could notmake due to ill-health, has been completed by one of his ardent admirers. Thefilm's original producer, who paired up with the ace director to create gemslike Harmonium, Safed Haathi, Aaj Ka Robin Hood and Anokha Moti, backed theproject to pay tribute to the legendary director.Bengali film TeenMurti, a comedy based on the lives of three retired morning walkers who discovera new purpose in life after they open a tea shop, was put in the backburnernearly two years ago when the veteran director fell ill just before shooting wasto start. Based on a story he had written years ago, Sinha nearly penned thecomplete script and had recorded four songs when he fell criticallyill.When Sinha's health failed to improve, producer R A Jalancontemplated shelving the film. "It was extremely difficult to find someone tofit his shoes. Teen Murti was a hallmark Sinha venture. When he fell ill, theproject got stalled. It was only when I saw the affection and respect of thepeople when Sinha passed away that I decided to revive the project. I cannotdeny fans the master's final take. It will a tribute to a great filmmaker," hesaid. Finding a director to fulfil Sinha's dream would have been atough ask but for Raja Sen's persistence. A follower of Sinha and his style offilmmaking, Sen had heard the director narrate the story to Soumitra on the setsof Antardhan. "It was in the late 1990s. I was making a documentary on Sinha andwas at the set to shoot him at work when he narrated the story. I took aninstant liking to it. Later, when I learnt that Sinha wasn't planning to make afilm on the story, I expressed interest and he agreed," Sen said.Butwhen another film titled Lathi, based on the trysts of elderly, was releasedaround the time, Sen shelved the project. It was years later that he heard Sinhawas planning to make Teen Murti. Again fate intervened. Sinha took violentlyill. "In 2008, when Sinha was bed-ridden and looked unlikely to donthe director's cap again, that I approached him through family friend and actorManoj Mitra. For the second time, Sinha agreed to my making the movie," saidSen. The film starring Ranjit Mullick, Dipankar Dey and Monoj Mitra will bescreened at Nandan on Thursday. So, how challenging was it to make afilm that the maestro was to direct? Sen, whose earlier works were greatlyinfluenced by Sinha, said it wasn't easy. "It is a Tapan Sinha movie that RajaSen has executed. It has all the ingredients of a Sinha classic comedy,emotions, sentiments and hope. I have tried to remain true to this genre," Sensaid.