When Apu left the unit tongue-tied

It was Soumitra Chatterjee who first told Prosenjit that he should always take a bath in lukewarm water. For all these years, there hasn���������t been a single day when the superstar hasn���������t followed this instruction. That���������s the kind of bond the actors have shared off screen and needless to say, such respect also translated to good on-screen camaraderie when Prosenjit shared the same frame as Soumitra in ���������Aparajita Tumi��������� on Wednesday evening.
Says Prosenjit, ���������My first film with him was ���������Agradami���������.Thereafter, I have worked with him in several productions. He is a master and following him is only natural even when I am 49. For this party sequence of ���������AT���������, he is appearing on-screen as Soumitra Chatterjee himself. His failing health was one of the reasons why he couldn���������t make it to San Francisco for the shoot.���������
Aniruddha, who was shooting with Soumitra for the first time, says the experience was overwhelming. ���������In one scene, someone asks him whether his name was ever dragged into any gossip. Soumitrada came up with an impromptu answer in the form of a poem. The gist of the poem was: ���������I had wanted her for inspiration only���������,��������� says the director.
While Prosenjit and Aniruddha had known Soumitra personally, it was a different story for the rest of the cast who belonged to other film industries. Padmapriya had watched the ���������Apu Trilogy��������� and was very happy with the experience of shooting. ���������He looks so handsome. I guess, he is getting better with age. When you work with experienced people, you realize that it���������s a different experience altogether,��������� Padmapriya says.
Kamalinee Mukherjee, on her part, admits to have been tongue-tied. ���������I had so much to say but I was completely in awe of him. Initially, in San Francisco, I was also a little shy about Prosenjit. But he had his own way of making me feel comfortable. However, you can���������t be a buddy with Soumitrada. Yet, I really had a memorable experience,��������� she says.
Chandan Roy Sanyal is equally happy with his experience. ���������I had to sport a beard and
had a bit of a difficulty trying to adjust to it for Wednesday���������s shoot. I was already in awe of Soumitrada and but ended up not talking to him at all. Next time around, I wish I can engage in detailed conversations with him. However, I must add that I am happy to have done this Bengali film. I don���������t do Bengali movies for money. I like the pace of working here and I���������ve had the time of my life both in San Francisco and Kolkata.���������