Herbert goes to MoMa

While Suman Mukhopadhyay’s Herbert makes it to New York’s Museum of Modern Art, the director is scripting his forthcoming Hindi film titled 'Sonagachhi'.

While the debate continues over whether National Awards are mere trophies or give a lot more to the films and their makers, here��s some good news for a National Award-winning director.
Suman Mukhopadhyay��s Herbert has been selected for a series of screenings at the Museum of Modern Art, New York, in December as a part of a series titled ContemporAsian.
For the uninitiated, this series was conceived to not only acknowledge the rapidly transforming visual culture of Asian cinema but to seek and screen works that challenge familiar idioms and forms of representing Asian culture and history. Says an excited Mukhopadhyay, ��When I was studying in the US, MoMa was one of the places I loved to visit. I had first heard a lecture of Jacques Derrida there. Pather Panchali was also released at MoMa. Screening Herbert at MoMa means it will get noticed by the right people. They also intend to show it to the Western press.��
Besides, Mukhopadhyay has other reasons to be happy. Director/film-maker Sanjay Gupta had signed him on for making a Hindi film in February. Mukhopadhyay, who is doing the post-production of Chaturanga, is also busy scripting his Hindi film. ��Sanjay had called me to Mumbai and said that he has liked Herbert and wanted me to develop a film for his company. The ritualistic part of the Durga Pujas will form the backdrop of my film. I intend to use the Kumari Puja as a metaphor. One of the central characters of the film is an old man who is sexually abusive,�� says Mukhopadhyay.

Sudipta Chattopadhyay, the creative head of Gupta��s company, says, ��The film is about a pre-puberty girl and a sex worker. It��s called Sonagachhi. We are bouncing the idea with Bipasha Basu and Konkona. As for the male actors, we are talking to Rahul Bose and Rajat Kapoor, among others.�� Shooting for Sonagachhi begins during the Pujas in October.
With Mumbai calling, does that mean Mukhopadhyay will also shift base from Kolkata? ��No,�� insists the director, adding, ��If Mira Nair can live in the US and make films in India, I don��t see any reason why I have to shift to Mumbai to make Hindi films.��

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