Director Ram Kamal Mukherjee set for Bengali debut with ‘Rickshawala’

After the success of his Hindi short film ‘Cakewalk’, director Ram Kamal Mukherjee is ready for his Bengali debut ‘Rickshawala’. Set in the heartland of Kolkata, the short film will be produced by Assorted Motion Pictures and SS1 Entertainments. "Since I made my foray into direction people from Kolkata have been constantly asking me to make a Bengali film. Unfortunately I didn't have a story that would justify the language and the narrative. Finally I wrote a story based on the rickshaw pullers. This particular hand pulley ricks are only seen in Kolkata, especially in certain pockets, their story intrigued me," explained Ram Kamal. Incidentally the story is loosely based on various incidents the director had witnessed as a child during his early days in Kolkata. "I grew up in Amherst Street, and I have seen Rickshawala and their families. I feel that this is high time that we talk about them also. In Hindi cinema, or even in Bengali films we have barely seen them as central character," added Ram Kamal. Produced by Aritra Das, Sarbani Mukherjee and Shailendra Kumar, the film will also see celebrated cinematographer Madhura Palit as an integral part of the film. "When I narrated the concept to Madhura she readily agreed to be a part of this film. It's been a passionate subject of Ram Kamal da, and with Madhura's international recognition at the Cannes Film Festival this year, it will be a bonus," says producer Aritra Das. The additional screenplay has been executed by Gargi Mukherjee (granddaughter of legendary actor Bhanu Bandhopadhya) and Saikat Das. ‘Rickshawala’ will go on floors from June end. The main lead of the film is yet to be finalized. "Actually the script demands new faces and we are having auditions in Kolkata for the male and female lead. Unfortunately I have not found a single face that would justify the character of Rickshawala in the film. Most Bengali actors have accent issue, and if they are acting well then they don't have the body. So to get the perfect combination of both I guess I will have to wait," rues Ram Kamal.