Mrinal Sen to cast Soumitra, Naseer in next film

"Ninety years ago, an accident had happened on this day. I am now waiting for another accident to happen," says Mrinal Sen, on the eve of his 90th birthday.
But when he talks of another accident, his fans would want that to mean him getting back to direction. A comedy is something many want him to try. "In fact, Chidananda Dasgupta used to ask me why I wasn't attempting a comedy.But I feel there is comedy in everything. I don't like to tickle people to make them laugh. There is comedy in "Bhuvan Shome". The last scene of the film is nothing but inspired nonsense. Utpal (Dutt) was such a fine actor who had the rare ability to shift between being sublime and ridiculous within a split second," Sen says.
The desire to make a movie haunts him every morning when he wakes up. "Every morning I wake up wanting to direct again. Even on Sunday, a producer came to meet me asking me to make a movie. I had returned the money to him but he still insists that I must direct. I can't talk about how I've influenced contemporary directors. That's for the audience to judge."
Sen has been toying with the idea of making a film with Soumitra Chatterjee and Naseeruddin Shah in the lead. "I've bounced the idea with Soumitra. The film is related to science but not a science fiction. Soumitra will speak in half-Bengali and half-English. Naseeruddin will speak in half-Hindi and half-English. I have been planning to make it for a while now. Let's see how things go. But then, I also require to study a lot on science before I start work," he explains.
Meanwhile, he has completed a book on Charlie Chaplin. As a parting shot, he says, "Even a year before he died, Chaplin had said: 'My head is full of ideas. But when I go, I'll go'. It's the same with me. My book is about Chaplin being the greatest comedian and prophet. I am happy to have explored the man who had so much more to him than just humour."