A still of Apu from Pather Panchali
Highlights
- Kaushik Ganguly, who directed movies like Arekti Premer Golpo and Laptop, is making a film on the life of Subir Banerjee, the child artist who played the role of Apu in Satyajit Ray's 1955 classic Pather Panchali. Ganguly says he was intrigued when he came to know about Subir, now 69 years old and completely disconnected from the world of cinema.
- "I have decided to make my film on Pather Panchali's Apu, the child actor Subir Banerjee. It was his only film and he has no memory of it. He became a clerk in one of the central government offices and took VRS. Now he is 69, pretty old and throughout his life everyone has called him Apu.
- "He was very tiny when he played that character. He has no memory of it except Satyajit Ray giving him food or asking him to sit quietly. He has very faint memory of the film. What is interesting is that if you go through his life there are some five-six portions which are similar to Apu. He left Apu but Apu never left him," Ganguly told PTI.
- Ganguly, who is presenting his "very original and very interesting" film "Sound" at the ongoing Dubai International film festival, says Subir's story came to him by coincidence. "My cinematographer used to give math tuitions when he was not working and there he met a man, one of his students' uncle. The student knew about his interest in cinema and told him, 'Sir, he is Apu'. My cinematographer realised that this guy had the same eyes, old but the same. He called me up and said, 'you know I have met Apu', and that's the beginning of my film," Ganguly says.
- The director, who also dabbles in acting, says initially Subir was reluctant to meet him because "he is a very ordinary man, has nothing to do with cinema and wants to live a quiet life".
- They developed an acquaintance and Ganguly decided to make a story on his life. "We plan to start in March-April. I think I will call it just Apu or Apu's Panchali (Apu's journey)," he adds. Ganguly's upcoming film Shobdo (Sound), which is having its world premiere at DIFF, deals with a Bengali Foley artiste, whose life is upside-down because he is so lost in creating ambiance sound in films that human voices stop making an impact on him.
- Starring Victor Banerjee, Raima Sen, Churni Ganguly, Ritwik Chakraborty and Srijit Mukherjee, the film is slated to release in India by the end of March.
- Ganguly's own experiences of playing a blind writer in his last film "Laptop" became the basis for this film's story, which he says is dedicated to unsung heroes of cinema and senior sound designer Anup Mukherjee.
- "I play a blind writer in Laptop. So my sound engineer decided to enhance the ambiance sound in the blindman's room because they listen more keenly and are more aware of sound. By doing that we created a new world in the studio and I started listening to Foley sound more carefully," he says. According to the director, he has deliberately not used any background score or songs in the movie.
- "Foley artists are the real brave hearts. There are millions of things happening in a scene and there is only one person making those sounds. For example, take Sholay, all the sound was done by one guy, who created Foley sound in a studio. They are behind the scenes and we don't know much about them. These artistes are also not paid well. In my film, the character is a LIC agent by day and works as a Foley artist in the night."
- Talking about the obsessive element of the story, Ganguly says, "We all are obsessive people. The doctor in the film is obsessed about her patient and the senior doctor (Victor) is obsessed about himself and thinks he is the best...
- "This obsession comes from me. I am so obsessed with films that I tend to forget about my family. They must feel very hurt because what they are asking for is really very small. It is the sheer obsession and I think it needs to be balanced."
- When asked how Victor Banerjee came to be a part of the project, Ganguly says, "He liked the story and is promoting the film. This case was new to him."
Kaushik Ganguly, who directed movieslike
Arekti Premer Golpo and
Laptop, is making a film onthe life of Subir Banerjee, the child artist who played therole of Apu in Satyajit Ray's 1955 classic
Pather Panchali.Ganguly says he was intrigued when he came to know aboutSubir, now 69 years old and completely disconnected from theworld of cinema.
"I have decided to make my film on Pather Panchali's Apu,the child actor Subir Banerjee. It was his only film and hehas no memory of it. He became a clerk in one of the centralgovernment offices and took VRS. Now he is 69, pretty old andthroughout his life everyone has called him Apu.
"He was very tiny when he played that character. He hasno memory of it except Satyajit Ray giving him food or askinghim to sit quietly. He has very faint memory of the film. Whatis interesting is that if you go through his life there aresome five-six portions which are similar to Apu. He left Apubut Apu never left him," Ganguly told PTI.
Ganguly, who is presenting his "very original and veryinteresting" film "Sound" at the ongoing Dubai Internationalfilm festival, says Subir's story came to him by coincidence."My cinematographer used to give math tuitions when hewas not working and there he met a man, one of his students'uncle. The student knew about his interest in cinema and toldhim, 'Sir, he is Apu'. My cinematographer realised that thisguy had the same eyes, old but the same. He called me up andsaid, 'you know I have met Apu', and that's the beginning ofmy film," Ganguly says.
The director, who also dabbles in acting, says initiallySubir was reluctant to meet him because "he is a very ordinaryman, has nothing to do with cinema and wants to live a quietlife".
They developed an acquaintance and Ganguly decided tomake a story on his life."We plan to start in March-April. I think I will call itjust Apu or Apu's Panchali (Apu's journey)," he adds.Ganguly's upcoming film
Shobdo (Sound), which is havingits world premiere at DIFF, deals with a Bengali Foleyartiste, whose life is upside-down because he is so lost increating ambiance sound in films that human voices stop makingan impact on him.
Starring Victor Banerjee, Raima Sen, Churni Ganguly,Ritwik Chakraborty and Srijit Mukherjee, the film is slated torelease in India by the end of March.
Ganguly's own experiences of playing a blind writer inhis last film "Laptop" became the basis for this film's story,which he says is dedicated to unsung heroes of cinema andsenior sound designer Anup Mukherjee.
"I play a blind writer in
Laptop. So my sound engineerdecided to enhance the ambiance sound in the blindman's roombecause they listen more keenly and are more aware of sound.By doing that we created a new world in the studio and Istarted listening to Foley sound more carefully," he says.According to the director, he has deliberately not usedany background score or songs in the movie.
"Foley artists are the real brave hearts. There aremillions of things happening in a scene and there is only oneperson making those sounds. For example, take
Sholay, allthe sound was done by one guy, who created Foley sound in astudio. They are behind the scenes and we don't know muchabout them. These artistes are also not paid well. In my film,the character is a LIC agent by day and works as a Foleyartist in the night."
Talking about the obsessive element of the story, Gangulysays, "We all are obsessive people. The doctor in the film isobsessed about her patient and the senior doctor (Victor) isobsessed about himself and thinks he is the best...
"This obsession comes from me. I am so obsessed withfilms that I tend to forget about my family. They must feelvery hurt because what they are asking for is really verysmall. It is the sheer obsession and I think it needs to bebalanced."
When asked how Victor Banerjee came to be a part of theproject, Ganguly says, "He liked the story and is promotingthe film. This case was new to him."