Aparna Sen plays a role in a film she wished to direct

Actor-director Aparna Sen had a desire to make a film on the sensational court case of Bhawal prince in erstwhile East Bengal, but agreed to play a role in national award winning director Srijit Mukherjee's movie on the same.

Sen told reporters she had planned to use the same book 'A Princely Impostor: The Kumar of Bhawal and the Secret History of Indian Nationalism' by Prof Partha Chatterjee' for the film she wished to make.

The '36 Chowringhee Lane' director recalled "when Srijit had requested me to do a role in the film I asked him what prompted him to do the story on Bhawal prince which had been adapted to big and small screens on earlier occasion in Bengali."
As Srijit replied he had been impressed by the book and wanted to do another film on the subject, "I immediately agreed as the book was based on a lot of research."
Speaking after trailer launch of the upcoming film 'Ek Je Chhilo Raja' early this week, Sen - the maker of 'The Japanese Wife' - said "Srijit, director-actor Anjan Dutt, who also plays an important role in the film, and I held discussions during shoots to make certain scenes like the courtroom appear real and retain the period element."
Stating the real incidents involving the case will be portrayed for the first time, Mukherji said, "we have blended factors like the movement against the British and the call for 'Quit India'. The film has references to the nationalistic movement of the time."
Actor Jisshu Sengupta, who essayed the role of the Bhawal prince in the film, said, "I have never done such a demanding role in my 20-year tenure in the film industry."