This story is from December 7, 2010

Rituparno's next likely on dance

Rumour has it that Rituparno Ghosh will direct a dance-based film that will have Jisshu Sengupta, Anjan Dutt and himself in the lead.
Rituparno's next likely on dance
Rumour has it that Rituparno Ghosh will direct a dance-based film that will have Jisshu Sengupta, Anjan Dutt and himself in the lead. The director talks about his acting debut in ���������Just Another Love Story��������� that releases on December 24.
As you walk into Rituparno Ghosh���������s living room, the first thing you notice is the different kinds of books he treasures.
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From ���������Sean Penn ��������� his life and movies��������� and Kiran Nagarkar���������s ���������God���������s Little Soldiers��������� to ���������A Profile of Ancient Rome��������� to ���������Random House Unabridged Dictionary���������, the shelves have it all and more. Curiously enough, an in-built DVD corner tucked into his bookshelf has an equally diverse collection of movies. From ���������I Hate Luv Storys��������� and ���������Milk��������� to ���������Alice In Wonderland��������� to separate collections of movies by Ray, Ghatak and even, ���������film-makers in Bengal who have started doing movies after me��������� in DVD bags, Rituparno has it all. Neatly tucked away with them are two bottles of dried peas. ���������That���������s like popcorn ��������� a provision for munching on something while watching these movies!��������� he smiles and says, before settling down for an interview.
Rumours doing the rounds in Tollywood suggest that Rituparno is all set to start his next directorial venture in January. It���������s a dance-based film that will have Jisshu Sengupta, Anjan Dutt and Rituparno himself in the cast. While Abhik Mukhopadhyay will be behind the camera, the music will be composed by Debajyoti Mishra. But Rituparno would rather remain tight-lipped about the project. ���������Yes, I am itching to get back to direction. I am planning a film with Moni-Shrikant. It���������s a happy homecoming for me. But a dignified and formal announcement will be made later,��������� he says, before proceeding to talk about his acting debut in ���������Just Another Love Story���������.
His recent ligament tear has been a bit of a problem for the director, so much so that it prevented him from attending some of the important film festivals that ���������JALS��������� was screened at. ���������My doctor doesn���������t want me to travel much,��������� he offers. But, of course, the Silver Peacock for Kaushik Ganguly, the director of ���������JALS���������, has come as good news for him. ���������People are saying that it is a bold and a courageous attempt. I want to congratulate the Directorate of Film Festivals for selecting such a movie in the Panorama and also entering it in the competitive section. In India, it���������s pretty safe to keep a movie like ���������Moner Manush��������� in competition. But it���������s a different thing when one takes into account a film like ���������JALS���������.��������� While Kaushik got a Special Jury mention, was Rituparno expecting something in his kitty? ���������No, I don���������t have the mindset of an actor. I am happy being part of a film. For me, it���������s important that acknowledgement came by for a film that I���������m fond of. It���������s not really an issue whether the film is mine or not. When Kaushik came to me with the story, I approached producer Tapan babu (Tapan Biswas) with it. I thought it was a film that ought to be made.���������
Messages congratulating his performance as an actor have been pouring in ever since the film was screened at various festivals. A distinguished member of the jury had even said that he was one of the strongest contenders in acting from India as far as the Best Actor Award was concerned. But how does it feel to be judged as an actor? With years of direction behind him, how different is it to be judged as a fresher or even be considered a debutant in a field that, to some extent, also complements his primary profession? ���������Even if someone were to refer to me as a debutant actor, it wouldn���������t be wrong technically. Acting is a learning process for me. Simply because I have acted in two movies doesn���������t mean that I can think that I���������ve arrived as an actor. I have an indirect history of acting because I have acted through my actors. If tomorrow, I am appreciated for production designing, I wouldn���������t be too surprised. I might not have been separately credited as a production designer but, fact is, I���������ve always been doing it in my movies. But tomorrow, if I take up cinematography, that will be something new for me since I���������ve never done it before,��������� he insists.

While talking about the praise that has already been coming his way, Rituparno shows a text message of an actor-director who was overwhelmed by his performance in the movie. What if someone were to say that his performance as an actor hinges on being melodramatic? Or if there are other criticisms? Is he capable of accepting such comments? ���������As an actor, I���������ve nothing to lose. I don���������t have a compelling ambition to become an actor. People often don���������t correctly understand the contribution of a director. When it comes to acting, the reaction is more palpable. I���������ve got reactions from people in Berlin and Rotterdam, who���������ve been ecstatic with praise. Now, I���������m waiting to see how my city reacts to the film. I understand that there is a section of people which will go to see a woman Rituparno with a hidden sense of ridicule. But I am keen on knowing if they find something more in the film beyond that,��������� he says, admitting that he is waiting to see the audience���������s connect with the movie���������s content.
As the conversation progresses, one soon comes up with the issue of whether he is aware of the fact that Prosenjit Chatterjee wanted to play his role in ���������JALS���������. ���������I just read it in the newspaper (CT issue dated Dec 4) the other day. We never had had a conversation about this. But it seems a little strange to me because I had offered him my role in ���������Memories In March��������� (then called ���������Parapar��������� and to be made in Bengali). The character was that of a normal corporate guy without any gender flamboyance and almost inconspicuously gay. Even then, Bumba (Prosenjit) had told me ���������ami parbona���������. I thought that was a very polite way of refusing a role belonging to alternative sexuality. I didn���������t persuade because I found nothing inappropriate about it coming from a superstar who is constantly under a social panic to preserve his conventional and populist image thriving on heteronormative machismo. But if I���������m to take his recent quote seriously then it becomes even more difficult for me to pre-judge how he would have fared in a role in a dual-character film where both protagonists go through a journey from femininity to androgyny,��������� Rituparno says.
And what about talks of him wanting to adapt ���������Moner Manush���������? ���������Yes, I had wanted to adapt it after I read Sunilda���������s book,��������� he says. Would he have cast Prosenjit as Lalon too? ���������If I can cast Ash in the role of Binodini, I wouldn���������t have had any problems casting Bumba as Lalon just because he is a superstar. As far as I am concerned, he has always been a very reliable actor of mine. I wouldn���������t have had any problems getting into a new journey with him. I���������m confident that he would have given his 500 per cent. But his fair complexion and his naturally clear skin would have to be worked upon. I see Lalon with a far more rugged look. If I were to make the film, ���������MM��������� would be a completely new territory for my cinematic endeavour as well as Bumba���������s acting repertoire. Goutamda has handled rural Bengal before with a lot of ease and experience. For me, it would have been a completely new exploration. And it wouldn���������t have been possible if Bumba wasn���������t too a part of that exploration. Lalon, being primarily an outdoor film, needed him to be acclimatized with the environment which his superstardom would not have easily allowed him to do. Ideally speaking, he could have been an extension of the directorial unit even at every stage of the pre-production level. It would have been a wonderful collaborative work. But I have a problem with the current film, where the songs that he sings are almost an extension of his spoken lines. When they come in a different voice, they irk me. We would have had to find a way to make it more wholesome and less distractive,��������� he says.
Considering that two films have already been made on Lalon Fakir before ���������MM��������� was made, would he still be keen on making his version of Lalon���������s tale on celluloid? ���������No, I don���������t think I would want to do that,��������� he admits. Now, Rituparno is keen on taking up another new challenge. This time, it would be about directing himself in a Bengali film.
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