'Byomkesh' maker Arindam wants 'Feluda' rights

Filmmaker Arindam Sil, who has made a couple of movies on iconic sleuth Byomkesh Bakshi, has expressed willingness to be given film rights of another popular fictional detective, Feluda, authored by Satyajit Ray.
Arindam has made "Har Har Byomkesh" (2015) and just completed "Byomkesh Parbo" on Byomkesh created by author Saradindu Bandyopadhyay.
Satyajit Ray himself had made two Feluda films - "Sonar Kella" (1974) and "Jai Baba Felunath" (1979) - while his son Sandip, who owns the copyright of Ray's works, has directed a number of movies based on the detective.
"I have read in newspapers that Babuda (Sandip) has given permission to (Bollywood filmmaker) Pradeep Sarkar to make a Hindi film inspired by 'Sonar Kella'.

"But the main characters of Feluda, his assistant Topshe and writer-friend Jatayu cannot be referred to in the similar way in the new film. I wish to be given similar rights in Bengali by him for two of his remaining works," Arindam told PTI on the sidelines of "Apeejay Bangla Sahityo Utsob 2016."
Sandip, busy with post-production work of "Double Feluda", featuring two Feluda stories in one film, could not be immediately contacted for response but he had in the past expressed his unwillingness to give Bengali film rights on any of Feluda stories.

Arindam also advocated the need for taking forward the stories of hugely popular Bengali writers like Ray and Saradindu so that the pool of stories never dry up and competent writers can churn out more projects once all the available source is exhausted.

Citing an example, he said, he has bought the rights of an unfinished Byomkesh story which will be completed by a current writer for making of the film.
Arindam said, "The world over it has become a trend with changing times. Think about Sherlock Holmes. Why can't our film makers take works of Ray's 'Feluda', Saradindu's 'Byomkesh' beyond their known and published writings?"
Actor Sabyasachi Chakraborty, who essayed the role of Feluda in almost all movies on the detective made by Sandip, said, "Sandip Ray will never try his hand in writing new stories on Feluda or touch his father's work. Babuda has a different way of thinking and craft of filmmaking which is different from Arindam's."

In "Double Feluda", Sabyasachi has made a comeback as Feluda after "Royal Bengal Rahasyo" (2011).
Both "Double Feluda" and "Byomkesh Parbo" will be released in the end of this December.