Tollywood directors with attitude

They���re young, bold and ready to smash middle-class mores for their artistic vision - and all of them are one film old.
TOI profiles six go-getters who are the toast of Tollywood. Be sure, they have a few more surprises up their sleeve
SHIBOPROSAD MUKHERJEE AND NANDITA ROY
Film: Ichche
Release: July 15, 2011
USP of film: ���Ichche��� portrays the relationship between a
mother and a son without being preachy.The actors put in powerful performances, which have ensured that the film is running to packed houses even in the eighth week.
Director speak: We only want to do original movies. No copying from Tamil and Telugu movies for us. We have rights of Suchitra Bhattacharya���s Alikh Sukh and Bani Basu���s Trekkers. Sooner or later, we will begin working on this film. Our next, ���Hello Memshaheb���, is a romantic comedy and will release on September 30. We have ���Accident��� after that. We wouldn���t mind reinterpreting ���Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam��� and ���Devi Chaudhurani���.
About Shiboprosad and Nandita: ���Ichche��� is more than an ���Udaan���. It has started a movement in Bengali cinema. Their script is their USP and the treatment is a mark of their brilliance. Shiboprosad and Nandita can spearhead a new movement in cinema,��� says actor Samadarshi Dutta.
PARAMBRATA CHATTOPADHYAY
Film: Jiyo Kaka!!
Release: February 11, 2011
USP of film: The film is about three ordinary boys who end up doing something very extraordinary. It appealed to the audience because of its youth connect and fantasy elements.
Director speak: I want to make urban fairy tales about these magical stories that we can find within our mundane lives. I would like to adapt Chander Pahar and any text by Nabarun Bhattacharya. I am in talks with him to adapt ���Juddho Poristhiti���. I wish I could remake ���Golpo Holeo Sotti���.
About Param: ���I���ve known him as a director and a co-actor. I think, he fits the bill of a Gen-Y director. Param has a bright future. He is intelligent, practical and disciplined. He has trendy and innovative ideas. Param is serious about his work and knows his craft well,��� says Rituparna Sengupta.
KAMALESWAR MUKHERJEE
Film: Uro Chithi
Release: August 12, 2011
USP of film: ���Uro Chithi��� made a mark in the way it told a contemporary story through 12 SMSes, each opening up a new flashback track. Kamaleswar scored with his punchlines and witty dialogue.
Directorspeak: I���ll try to make films that are rich in content and talk about a cross section of society. I haven���t decided on my next film yet, but I���d want to make either a comedy or a movie that deals with the our socio-political life. I���d love to adapt Manik Bandopadhyay���s Putulnacher Itikatha and Premendra Mitra���s Sangsar Simante - a short story - on screen.
About Kamaleswar: ���Kamaleswar has the ability to cast actors without falling into the trap of stereotypes. I���ve been working for so long but it took a Kamaleswar to look beyond my funnyman persona and cast me in a serious role��� says actor Biswanath Basu.
SRIJIT MUKHERJI
Film: Autograph
Release: October 14, 2010
USP of film: The film-within-a-film narrative of ���Autograph��� was a tribute to ���Nayak���. Apart from Prosenjit Chatterjee playing a superstar, the movie also had a couple of other reel-real castings like Rudraprasad Sengupta and Dilip Roy. Anupam Roy���s debut with ���Amake amar moto thakte dao��� was a runaway hit.
Director speak: Solid storytelling, use of music and dialogues with a sense of humour are my forte. My next, ���Baishey Srabon���, is completely different from ���Autograph���. While my debut movie had a feel-good vibe to it, my next is darker and much more violent. It is meant for thriller buffs. I���d love to adapt The Hungry Tide and The Moor���s Last Sigh. I don���t want to directly remake a film though I might want to reinterpret ���Antony Firingi���.
About Srijit: ���Srijit is one of the strongest directors in contemporary Bengali cinema. Apart from being a good writer and a lyricist, he pens great dialogues and also comes up with strong scripts. He clearly knows what he wants and also gets that done. That includes direction, extracting the right performance from artistes and marketing a movie,��� says Indraneil Sengupta.
ANINDO BANERJEE
Film: Chaplin
Release: August 26, 2011
USP of film: The trials and tribulations of fatherhood told through a story that imbibes Chaplinesque philosophy. Indraadip Das Gupta���s music stands out.
Director speak: I am producer-friendly and flexible. I can tell stories well and gel well with my actors. I want to do commercial films that aren���t vulgar. They should be closer in spirit and story-telling to the Hindi movies we watch. The idea is to do a Bengali version of ���Jab We Met���. I would someday want to do a period piece, maybe adapt ���Chaturanga���. I���d love to remake ���Saptapodi���.
About Anindo: ���Anindo is extremely talented. He has a pleasant personality that helps him earn the confidence of his cast and crew without having to dominate anyone. He can make everyone believe in his vision,��� says Rudranil Ghosh.
BIRSA DASGUPTA
Film: 033
Release: March 5, 2010
USP of film: The original script, young cast and Chandrabindoo���s music. The audio-visual drama focuses on displacement, restlessness and longing in a particular city. Some say ���033��� could have fared better at the box-office, some say it was ahead of its time.
Director speak: Not everything succeeds but I am sure that ���033���, which was way ahead of its time, has worked as a catalyst for many other movies. I believe that in cinema, it is the audio and the visuals that drive the story and not the other way around. To read a book, you have to switch the lights on. To make a film, you have to switch the lights off. Cinema is not a golpo dadur ashor. My film is about telling stories in an audio-visual format.
My next film, ���Jodi Bolo Hyan���, is a romantic comedy. I would love to adapt the Mahabharata in a modern day context, telling the story from Karna���s point of view - a bastard���s tale of love, war and eternal quest for truth. Given a chance I want to re-interpret ���Awjantrik���.
About Birsa: ���Birsa is a promising director who is capable of original work. Though he
watches many films, he never tries to copy them. He has a voice of his own and that is because of the grooming he has received at home,��� says Sabyasachi Chakrabarty.