Painter Jogen Chowdhury wants to turn filmmaker

Celebrated painter Jogen Chowdhury says he wants to make a short film which will reflect his painter's psyche.
"I have a vast experience of watching films. The idea of making films has already grown within me. This idea is the result of my tryst with 'Pather Panchali' at Aleya cinema in 1955," Chowdhury told PTI.
"If I finally manage to give shape to my thought - the film will be out of box, poles apart from the standard and routine stuff. I will not go by the trodden path," he said.
The acclaimed painter recalled he had earlier wanted to make a documentary on non-conformist poet Utpal Basu and the script was ready. But the film never got off as Basu, popular in city's literary circle, expired untimely.

"I had shown the script of that documentary to filmmaker Aniruddha Roy Choudhury and he said it made the cut. So that gave me confidence. Utpal was bed-ridden when I showed the script to Aniruddha and later he died."
Painting, acting, poetry, dance are about expressing art through different forms, feels the famed artist.

"Whenever I draw paintings on subjects concerning man, about environment, about nature, these become deep truths about life, which I can convey in other visual form as films. But I don't have logistical experience - settling location, arranging things, keeping tab on expenses.
"That is the drawback of me as a filmmaker, one who may find it difficult to organise the paraphernalia of making films. But wishes make me alive," he said.

Chowdhury wears many hats. He is also a member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha), professor emeritus of Visva Bharati University, Santiniketan. He has also been a former keeper (art) at Rashtrapati Bhavan (1972-87) and first artist in-residence at Rashtrapati Bhavan.