Historicals on a budget? Tolly walks the tightrope

In a recent interview with CT, Dev, who plays freedom fighter Bagha Jatin in his upcoming biopic, shared, “People seem to like period dramas, see history rather than read history. Maybe if we can make these the right way with the right budget, these experiments may just work.” Tollywood has certainly taken to period films and costume dramas, which inadvertently demand a higher productional quality, premium prosthetics and may also be FX-heavy. But what does that entail for an industry where most films are made on a tight budget? We spoke to directors, costume designers, make-up artists and people behind the camera to learn more about the challenges of the newest trend. Read on:

BUDGET, WEATHER CONDITIONS AND POOR CG ARE REAL CHALLENGES FOR US
Make-up artist Somnath Kundu, who specialises in prosthetic make-up, explains, “The modest budget and the weather conditions are some of the biggest challenges. The ideal temperature for prosthetic make-up is 15-20 degrees but here it is unthinkable. I just completed shooting for Padatik in Bolpur in this heat where prosthetic make-up has been used. The hot and humid weather is really bad for prosthetic make-up. On March 20, I will be shooting for Binodini Ekti Natir Upakhyan where Rukmini Maitra will be using prosthetic make-up. I am terrified of the prospect. How will the make-up stay on her? Moreover, the budget for CG (computer graphics) is quite low. At times, the shortcomings of prosthetic make-up can’t be rectified through it. But we are happy that our creativity is being explored.”
Make-up expert Subhasis Mondal broke down the climate issue for us. “Thin or low-density silicon is ideal for prosthetic make-up but that is costly. So, we have to compromise and it often shows. But at the same time period dramas gives us a platform to show our skills,” said Subhasis.

WORKING FOR PERIOD DRAMAS IS NEVER BORING
Period dramas require a lavish set-up. Art director Indranil Ghosh perceives it as an artistic challenge. “Working for period films is a challenge as it is not easy to recreate something from the past easily within a deadline. We have to be very careful about each detail or we could be trolled for the inaccuracies. For instance, if a lamppost has changed with time it has to be registered in the film. Creating old lanes and vehicles is tricky and the budget is also a problem here.”

Art director Tanmoy Chakraborty who is working on Padatik and Binodini... feels that working on period films is never boring. “We have to do a lot of research when we work for period films and that enriches us as human beings and I treasure that. Getting the locations right in such films is a huge challenge. An art director’s work in a film is to beautify things but when it comes to period films it’s the authenticity that matters. Padatik captures the period between 1944-2018 and not all of it is heavily documented. So, it’s a challenge to re-create that era just by reading stuff about that time,” shared Tanmoy.

COSTUME IS THE LAST PRIORITY WHEN IT COMES TO BUDGET
Costume designer and stylist Sabarni Das who is working in Padatik and a Hindi period-specific series, revealed something surprising. “Costume is often the last priority owing to the budget. People forget that costume and art design is key to denote a definite period,” she said.
Finding enough photographic references is also hard. Costume designer Suchismita Dasgupta said, “There are not too many reference pictures of Noti Binodini! The research is based on writings and paintings and the director’s vision, of course; they determine the look. But budget is still a key issue.”

We have to do a lot of research when we work for period films and that enriches us. I really cherish that Aspect
– Tanmoy Chakraborty



We have to be very careful about each detail in a film or we could be trolled for the inaccuracies
– Indranil Ghosh



People seem to like seeing history rather than reading about it. If made the right way with the right budget, these experiments may just work
– Dev