Bratya Basu to bring Bibhutibhushan’s short stories to the big screen

Bratya Basu is set to adapt two short stories by Bibhutibhushan Bandopadhyay into his next film, which is yet to be named. “I have always been fond of Bibhutibhushan. In my view, he is one of the finest novelists and short story writers in Bengali literature,” Basu said, adding that he has read some of the author’s short stories over a dozen times. “I had long wished to work on his creations,” he says.

Basu had previously brought one of the author’s works – Othoi Jol to the stage as a period drama. This time, he has taken two of his short stories, which he chooses to keep under wraps for now. Talking about how he plans to merge the stories and fit it into a modern setting, he says, “I’ve broken them down and reconstructed them so they remain relevant in today’s world.”

The film will see Seema Biswas as a woman in her early seventies and Lokenath Dey as an 80-year-old. Their characters once shared a brief courtship, which ended due his timidity and career uncertainty, before marrying others. Decades later, they meet again as he battles Alzheimer’s.

Chanchal Chowdhury plays Lokenath’s son, with Poulami Basu, Bratya’s wife, as his daughter-in-law. Seema’s son is portrayed by Rohit Mukherjee, her granddaughter by Angana Roy, and Lokenath’s granddaughter by Riddhi Sen.

Filming will take place mainly in Bolpur, with sequences in Varanasi and Kolkata. The crew includes music director Prabuddha Bandopadhyay, cinematographer Soumik Halder, editor Sanlap Bhowmik, and creative director Partha Mazumder. Shooting starts after Pujo.

The language of literature and cinema are different. While literature is a strong foundation, I’ve built my own stories and language alongside it
– Bratya Basu

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