Re-adapting the Tagorean classic in the 80s Bengal, director Sekhar Das has cast a seasoned actor-minister and a debutant girls in opposite roles in 'Jogajog'.
"I essay Kumudini, who essays a strong spirited girl having even mustered the courage to denounce her own child because of her aversion to the feudal minded husband Madhusudan, played by Bratyada but his accomodating nature helped me not to get intimidated," Shuvalagna Mukherjee aka Zinnia, told PTI here.
"The director had asked me not to wear any make up for the look test and once I reached the floors it was clear on his face that he got his Kumudini. He even gave me a new name Shuvalagna in sync with the profile of my on screen character," Zinnia, who was making debut in a full-fledged role in the flick for first time, said.
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"My character can fire shots, play chess, strum esraj and never takes things lying down in the face of injustice. She never compromises. I find lots of similarities between me and Kumudini in terms of the fire within. In fact that fire rages within every woman," the female lead, a well-known small screen actor having essayed a bit role in Nayika Sangbad two years back, said.
On Bratya Basu, she said, "In one shot I became so emotional that tears rolled down my cheeks and Bratyada was there to come to my rescue as it was a scene which involved us both."
"I play Madhusudan, a feudal baron who wants to stamp his authority. And I had earlier also wanted to work with Sekharda," Bratya said.
Retaining the Tagore feel and flavour in the film, the women characters, essayed by Ananya Chatterjee and Locket Chatterjee besides Shuvalagna ((Zinnia), all drape cotton sarees with full sleeve blouse.
"Even in cases of dialogue, the director didnot make much experiment only simplifying some phrases as it was a film set in the 80s but having the same story line of the early 20th century novel," Zinnia, having earlier done a small role in 'Elar Char Adhyay' maker Bappaditya Bandyopadhyay's 'Nayika Sangbad' said.
Classical instrumentalist Debajyoti (Tony) Bose composed the musical score of the film using guitar, sarod and piano.
"One poem of Tagore's Gitanjali - 'Premer haate dhara debo tai royechhi bose..' - has been developed into a complete song for the first time by Tony-da incorporating the 'gayaki' of Rabindra Sangeet," she said.
"It sums up the theme of the film, while there are playbacks by Shreya Ghosal and Kaushiki Chakroborty, Tagore numbers and composed lyrics," she said.
"From Sucharita in 'Gora' to Bimala in 'Ghare Baire', Tagore's woman had always been rebels in one sense or the other. We all feel connected as women now are certainly more empowered but there had been no change in the way they are looked at. It will perhaps never change," she said.
