Shonku film shoot to begin this month, Sandip says on Ray's

Satyajit Ray's director son Sandip Ray today said the shooting of the first film based on senior Ray's popular science fiction character Professor Shonku will begin by the end of this month.

Pre-production work of the bi-lingual Shonku film is nearing completion and shooting will begin by the end of this month, Sandip Ray said.

He was talking to PTI in between meeting visitors at their iconic 1/1 Bishop Lefroy Road here on senior Ray's 97th birth anniversary.

"I am happy that things about this movie have moved in the right direction since Baba's last birth anniversary to this one. Bringing Shonku to cinema would entail lots of logistics, shooting in different parts of the world and having the latest VFX technology at our hand," Sandip Ray said.

Sandip Ray had first announced about the Shonku film in November last year at a press meet.

"Now finally the film named 'Professor Shonku O El Dorado (Prof Shonku and El Dorado) is taking shape with these issues being sorted out," he said.

The first leg of the shooting will take place in Kolkata, Bolpur and Jharkhand by the end of this month or early June, and the unit will later travel to Brazil.

The film will be made in Bengali and English and veteran actor Dhritiman Chatterjee will essay the role of Shonku, the junior Ray said adding that there will also be an international cast.

"Some other works of Shonku will also be taken up on a later stage," Sandip Ray said but did not spell out the names.

Both the characters of Feluda, a sleuth, and of Prof Shonku, a scientist and an inventor, were very popular. While several Feluda films have been made by both the Rays, Shonku is being made in celluloid for the first time.

Sandip Ray said he is positive that the film will be liked by audience of all ages since his father enjoyed immense popularity both as a film maker and writer among the young audiences.

"Look at the crowd who came to offer tribute to Baba. Half of them represent the present generation. And this shows the popularity of Feluda films," he said.

Ray's favourite actor Barun Chanda and members of the Artiste's Forum were among the visitors who offered flowers in front of a black and white photograph of Ray who was born on May 2, 1921 and died on April 23, 1992.