Have seen almost all Ray classics: Radhika Apte

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Having watched Pather Panchali at a younger age, and seen Satyajit Ray's other works, actor Radhika Apte finds the Bengali independent directors are more influenced by the "rich cultural content" of the place.
"From Atanuda (Atanu Ghosh of Rupkatha Noy) to Q whose Taser Desh I had watched recently and mesmerized by the visuals, all the independent film makers here are contextually different in terms of story telling," the Antoheen lead actor told PTI.
"They have interesting stories. Perhaps this has something to do with the rhythm of life in Kolkata which is so different from other places. In short the film craft in Kolkata is more subtly nuanced which is markedly different from other places lile south where they follow a more explicit narrative style," Radhika, who is enthused about the audience response to her first film with thespian Soumitra Chatterjee said.

The doe-eyed actor, having done several nationally acclaimed Marathi plays, "Had seen almost all works of Satyajit Ray" including the Cannes Best Human Documentation winner in the late 50s, and rues "not to work with Rituparno Ghosh."
"Film makers here bear that indelible impression of the Ray works and my wish to be part of a Rituparno project will remain unfulfilled."
Coming to Ray's protege Soumitra Chatterjee, whose works she had seen in the maestro's Apur Sansar, Radhika said, "Wow! What an experience on the first day of shoot, that I am in the same frame with a legend like him!.One of the reasons Rupkatha Noy will remain forever special to me."

"He appeared very inspirational, very comfortable for a much much younger actor like me. And he patiently waited for my correct pronunciation of the words. He was accommodating having shown no hurry to rush things," she said.

The first shot was Soumitra sitting on the bench of a park, the listening chamber of life in the director's parlance, with Radhika aka Sananda (the screen character) having poured out her grief and emotion wreaked by a torrid past.
"Yes it was a scene where the character broods more than talk and my expressions were more internal. Offcourse expressions are more internal and it wells up within you at times," Radhika said.

Radhika, who had turned up in Ramgopal Verma's Rakta Charitra, had two Hindi projects with Ketan Mehta and Harsh Kulkarni but would leave the topic there
Jointly produced by Friends Communication and Nothing Beyond Cinema, Rupkatha Noy will feature the communion between a young woman and a septuagenarian, having representations from two artistes from different generations, Atanu said. It will be later taken to the festival circuit.