Naseeruddin excited to act opposite a goat

Ahead of his Friday release, debutant director Judhajit Sarkar talks about how the passion to make movies has surfaced much later in his life
You are making your debut with a film that is intensely subversive. The storyteller is a goat waiting to be slaughtered. How do you think the audience will react to this cinematic device?
I don't see it as subversion. The movie begins with a conversation between the goat and the butcher.I wanted to experiment with the style of storytelling. In my film, the goat tells the story, but what he says has been taken forward by me. So, you can say, I am the goat.
It gives an Arabian Nights sort of a feeling...
Yes, the film has a similar premise. The goat's life is hanging in the balance. In Arabian Nights, the storyteller (Scheherazde) keeps churning out tales to save herself from being executed by her husband (Shahryar). Though Khashi Katha might lend a similar feeling, it is a standalone story, which doesn't resemble any film, any book...
The film was completed sometime back. Did you face release issues?
There were various small problems for which the film got delayed; they weren't exactly financial. We had assigned the animation work to a small organization. Had we given it to a bigger agency, maybe the work would have been wrapped up faster. We were short of resources and despite that, wanted to provide the audiences with quality work. I wanted the animation work to be on a par with the 1995 comedy-drama, Babe. Frankly, we wanted to be as close to Babe as possible. To function with limited resources took time. Also, the production house was facing certain issues and work got slowed down because of that. Before completing Khashi Katha, I started work on my next ��� Kolkata King Company.
So, there's a lot of struggle involved...
I was the topper of my institute and many thought I would get into films right after completing the course. But to make films, you need to have a lot of passion and also be a little mad. I am a lazy person to the core.... On top of that, I lacked that passion early on in life. So, I got busy with teaching and making documentaries, stupid corporate films and some other projects. The passion was there, but it took time to surface. Now, I feel sufficiently charged up to make movies.
You had assisted Vidhu Vinod Chopra on Sazaye Maut, starring Naseeruddin Shah. That must be when you came to know the powerhouse actor...
Yes... During that time, films were only made with passion and a lot of love. Naseer got nothing from Sazaye Maut, nobody got anything out of it, but we all came close for the love for cinema. That's when I had asked him, 'If I ever make a film, will you act in it?' That chance did not come by in the next couple of years. When it did, I approached Naseer. He asked me about the role and I said, 'You need to talk to a goat'. Having worked with human beings for very long, he was very excited to feature opposite a goat. Though there were apprehensions about Naseer's towering personality and if he would overshadow the film, things have worked out fine. The goat's character has neutralized Naseer. Kanchan Mallick has dubbed for the goat's voice and has done a stupendous job. Thanks to Kanchan, the animation and script, Naseer doesn't stand taller than the film.
Also Read: Plot outline ��� Khashi Katha
How did you find Prasun and Anindita, considering that they are lesser known yet powerful actors?
I was looking for a woman to play Salma, a boxer. I didn't want a conventional actress. I'm not belittling the acting skills of Tollywood actresses, but I had almost given up hope when I chanced upon a photograph of Anindita in a newspaper. She was not very well made up, but something about her struck me. Anindita is an underdog... everyone in my film is an underdog... I told my assistant to get hold of her. We found Prasun in a similar way. Damini, who stars in my film, is another talented actress. She is underrated, yet very, very talented. I spotted her in a play, where she essayed the role of a revolutionary. That's when I realized she has to be in my film. I purposely didn't want to cast stars in my movie.
Khashi Katha takes a look at the underbelly of our society and deals with criminals, fraudsters. A lot of research must have gone into it...
Some amount of research has gone into the film, but reality is much worse than what you see in Khashi Katha. Mine isn't a realistic movie; if it was, it would have been far less palatable. With this movie, I have created a world of my own... People kept asking me where I have shot the film. 'Is it Kidderpore, Topsia or somewhere else?' many asked. I kept mum on most occasions. The film is a human story, where the geographical space is only incidental. It's my Kolkata, the way I see it. Kolkata King Company also focuses on a similar space. It's a take-off on Bertolt Brecht's The Threepenny Opera and has political overtones. I wish I could debut with my second film. It's much more innovative and daring; the storytelling is truly international...
Your film is finally set for release. Are you apprehensive?
I'm a bit sceptical as films in Bengal are failing left, right and centre. The audiences here are totally hooked on television. I feel today, more and more telefilms are made into films. The stories and characters are not just similar, the gestation period between two projects has also lessened. Filmmakers often make two-three films a year without thinking how they will fare. Out of 110 films, 105 don't work. The supply is way more than the demand. So, I find the scene a little scary. I don't know if my film will work and if the producer is going to get his money back... On my part, I have always tried to push the envelope. I have seen people taking interest in flourishes, without putting in much thoughts. Years back, I made a docu, Thinking Allowed, which ruffled many feathers. Though it got international acclaim, the docu was criticized back home for depicting Mother Teresa as a marketing genius. I've been very daring and now it's up to the audiences here to give their verdict.
Produced by Starfire Movies Pvt Ltd, Khashi Katha releases on May 30.