Globalising Bangla films

IN CONVERSATION

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Aparna Sen needs no introduction. One of Bengal's popular film actresses, she's directed films like 36 Chowringhee Lane, Paroma, Mr & Mrs Iyer, and most recently, 15 Park Avenue "" films that may not have set the BO on fire but were well received by critics and viewers alike. Which is probably why her appointment as the head of the Bengali television and film business of Saregama Films, a subsidiary of Saregama India, has created such a stir. She talks to Gargi Gupta about her plans for the Saregama banner

None of the earlier productions by Saregama Films did well. Even Haranath Chakraborty's Swapno failed to cut much ice...

We are in the process of analysing that. I joined on January 1 and since then, have been completely caught up with my own film, Japanese Wife (produced by Saregama Films). But I do plan to look at Swapno and find out where it went wrong, where we went wrong... It's a learning process.

Also, our aim is to formulate a process whereby we function like institutes abroad, like Sundance, where we don't just look at the script but also help the director with the budget, find out how he visualises the film, help him with the casting, suggest crew-members, and so on.

What are the kind of films you'll be looking to produce? Mainstream potboilers or multiplex fare?

There will be a mix. There will be one or two small-budget films, somewhat experimental to encourage new people. And maybe one or two mainstream multi-starrers designed to make money, but we will try to marry that with some quality; and some of our kind of films...

Except for the likes of Minar, Bijali, Chabbighar, few halls screen Bengali films in Kolkata these days. Doesn't that limit your options?

We need to take our films to the large numbers of non-resident Indians and Bangladeshis in North America, Europe and Canada. There is a big market out there "" after all, Bengali is the fifth largest spoken language in the world. Also, we need to market the film well to attract people. My strength is the script so I'll be seeing to it that the scripts are good and that they have enough dramatic content to keep people in their seats "" this is what I do with my films.

What will be your criteria for choosing scripts?

I'll be doing it much the same way I choose projects as an actress "" films that I think would be successful, or are different or make a mark in some way. That's why I've had such a long run as an actress.

What about television software?

Nothing has been decided but we'll probably be working a lot with music. Anyone who has anything to do with music must take it from us and pay us in copyright "" so we'll save on that.

What about budgets?

We've got about Rs 10-12 crore for Bangla films but we may not be able to spend all of that in a year.

What about the film-city that Saregama is rumoured to be interested in developing in the outskirts of Kolkata?

The whole thing is in a very exploratory stage. But we're going to meet people, industry heads, producers, senior technicians, and find out what their needs are, see what we can do.