Missing the golden era of 70s, when legendary sports journalist Moti Nandi and commentator Ajay Basu dominated the mindscape of Bengalees, Tolly star Rituparna Sengupta says she idolized Koni, Nandi's fictional fighter-swimmer.
"We were either not born or very small in that era. But having heard and read about this phase from father later on we know it was an unquantifiable loss as we can't either get back to the phase and revisit those days when Motida's write ups on a previous day's game would stir up the reader and Ajayda will bring the situation live from maidan," Rituparna told PTI on the occasion of the late scribe-writer's birth anniversary.
Terming Nandi's 'Puber Janala' as one of the most grounded yet multi-layered work she had ever come across, giving a realistic peek in different sides of life, Rituparna said, "Nice that it is being put on celluloid finally as Parapar. I was floored to read this story and wondered it has cinematic elements."
"In fact many of his short stories did have the potential to be made into films as we was a writer having seen life at a grassroot level. May be he did not get his due recognition as a writer in that sense. On a personal front I would rate Koni as the most favourite," Rituparna, portraying firebrand Damini in Sanjoy Nag's yet-unreleased Parapar, said.
'Moner Manush' actor Paoli Dam, having got critical acclaim in Bollywod flicks 'Ankur Aurora Murder Case' and 'The Hate Story', said "I find Koni, as a Moti Nandi creation-based film very very realistic. A very good cinematic presentation I had come across."
"Moti da and his stories represent that era of unadulterated Bengaliness and Parapar also retain references of that era. I am sharing space with a theatre personality-actor like Bratya Basu and awesome actor like Rubel from Dhaka. We wish if Moti Nandi were around to see us bringing up his tale of a jail convict and the two women in his life in the dialect of cinema" Paoli, also turning up in Subrata Sen's sada Canvas said.
