 |
| 10$ fOR 1 MONTH ADSPACE |
Calcutta News technically my best film: Blessy
Blessy is a path breaking director who has taken the road less traveled in commercial Malayalam cinema as proved by his classics like - Kazhcha, Thanmatra and the neo-realistic Palunku. All his films have been critically acclaimed. At the same time they have also been commercially viable at the box-office. Now Blessy's new film, the eagerly awaited Calcutta News is ready for release.
Excerpts from an interview with the director on the eve of the release of Calcutta News
Are you moving away from your format of making family films based on a moving incident in Kerala to a big metro in Calcutta News?
(Smiles) . The first three films I did- Kazhcha, Thanmatra, Palunku were family based stories. If you notice the screenplay was the story and all of them revolved around the life of a middle class men and families in Kerala. Calcutta News, is a love story that moves along as a thriller, a new genre for me. I also wanted to evolve as a technician, which is the reason I took on this film which is technically my best film so far on a wider canvass.
What is the one-line story of Calcutta News?
Calcutta News is an insight into the life of Ajith Thomas, a Calcutta born and brought up investigative television programme producer and reporter who during the course of trying to unravel the mystery behind Krishnapriya, a helpless Malayalee girl who lost her husband in suspicious circumstances discovers the dark side of the big city. During the course of his investigation he falls in love with the innocence of Krishnapriya and her love for Hindustani classical songs.What happens next forms the crux of Calcutta News, which has a suspense element in it.
How did you do your casting for the film? For the first time I'm casting Dileep in my film. He plays Ajith Thomas, an investigative television reporter born and brought up in Kolkata, and the son of a former footballer. The one thing that drew people from Kerala to Calcutta of the 40 to 70's was the craze for football. I have given Dileep a bespectacled look and my make-up man Ranjit Ambady has given him a different hairstyle for the film. Dileep's dialogue delivery and his character have been moulded as realistically as possible, and in the film he is a lovable. Meera's character is crucial for the development of the plot. Meera as the music-loving girl is central to the theme of the film. Both my lead artists are apt for the characters they play and have done a great job. The others in the cast like Indrajit, Innocent, Vimala all have done their parts well.
Like in your previous films, is there any message in Calcutta News?
There is definitely a message in the film which is topical and very relevant for Malayalees. But if I let out the message before release then the suspense element in the film will go missing. Anyway there is a message which will be revealed in the climax of the film.
What are the other highlights of the film?
Like I told you earlier this will be technically one of my best films cinematographer S.Kumar has done a great job. The camera tells its own story and the editing of Vijay Shankar is top class. Our efforts have been to paint some captivating visuals on screen in Calcutta News
What about the soft melodies in the film?
I would say musically it is my best film so far. A significant aspect about the film is its music, composed by Debjyothi Mishra, an associate of the legendary Salil Chowdhary. He has provided music for films like Chokker Bali, Raincoat etc. There is an evident Malayali flavour in the compositions and there is Bengali and Hindustani music as well. The lyrics have been penned by Vayalar Sarat Chandra Varma. And since the film is set in Kolkata, it was absolutely necessary to bring in someone like Debjyothi Mishra . In the past Bengali musicians have found great success in Malayalam and I hope that the music of the film will attract the audiences.
