Passion plays in Chokher Bali

<div class="section1"><div class="Normal"><script language="javascript" src="Config?Configid=43376741"></script></div> <div align="left" style="position:relative; left: -2"><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" align="left" border="1" width="77.5%"> <colgroup> <col width="100.0%" /> </colgroup> <tr valign="top"> <td width="100.0%" colspan="1" rowspan="1" style="" valign:="" top="" background-color:="" f3f3f3=""> <div class="Normal"><a href="javascript:popUp(&quot1;photopop?msid=209250&type=0&quot1;)"> <img border="0" align="left" src="/cms.dll/thumb?height=100&width=100&photoID=209250" hspace="12"" /></a></div> </td> </tr> <tr valign="top"> <td width="100.0%" colspan="1" rowspan="1" style="" valign:="" top="" background-color:="" f3f3f3=""> <div class="Normal"><span style="" font-size:="">Click to enlarge picture</span></div> </td> </tr> </table></div> <div class="Normal">MUMBAI: <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Chokher Bali</span> is set in the pre-independence era, in the early 20th century Bengal.It is a psychological study of relationships between the sexes in a well-to-do family, of shifting eternal triangles, complex motivations, subtle play of emotions.<br /><br />In this interview with Susmita Mukherjee, director Rituparno Ghosh talks on the making of the film, slated for an October 2003 release.<br /><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">How faithful have you been to the original novel of Tagore?</span><br /><br />Let''s put it this way, I have been very faithful to the original plot of <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Chokher Bali</span>. I mean I am bound by the plot. But the sequence of events may not exactly be the same as in the novel.<br /><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">Aishwarya Rai''s get-up and jewellery look straight out of Sanjay Leela Bhansali''s </span><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="" font-style:="" italic="">Devdas</span><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">. Your comments...</span><br /><br />I don''t think this is true at all. There is a basic difference between the two characters of Parvati and Binodini. For one, Binodini is a widow and therefore she is bereft of any make-up or adornments except when it becomes dramatically inevitable.<br /><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">This is the first time a Bengali film is having a website. Do you think websites whet viewer interest or take away from it?</span><br /><br />I feel this is the best state-of-the-art way to reach out to a larger audience. I don''t think websites take away viewer interest. On the contrary, these days, they are major interest arousers. If promos on television can be so popular, why not websites? You can find your own time and opportunity to go through the website on your comp.<br /><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">Nandita Das has said that it was "unethical of Rituparno to drop me from </span><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="" font-style:="" italic="">Chokher Bali</span><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">". What do you have to say to this?</span><br /><br />What if I say it was unethical of any paper to have carried someone''s views without having consulted me? It is true that Nandita is entitled to her own feelings. I understand she is hurt and I feel for her. <br /><br />Though I think she suited the role of Mallika in <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Shubho Mahurat</span> very well, maybe my entire experience of working with her in the film led me to conclude she was not as appropriately suited to play Binodini in <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Chokher Bali</span>. I also think every director has the prerogative to change, alter or modify any talent in the unit.<br /><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">What has been the international response to </span><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="" font-style:="" italic="">Chokher Bali</span><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">? </span><br /><br />The film has done the rounds of festivals like Locarno and Toronto. More festivals are coming up in the next few weeks like Chicago and London which will feature <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Chokher Bali</span>. There were very encouraging reviews in the French magazine, <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Variety</span> and the <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">The Screen International</span> as also reviews by eminent critics. <br /><br />But I am still eagerly awaiting the response of my viewers in Bengal because after a long time they will be getting to see a Tagore classic on screen.</div> </div>