Mumbai-based film-maker Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury is back in Calcutta after seven months! “I had arrived on September 23. I was missing Calcutta… I have a Calcutta deficiency in my blood, so I have come here to take my dose (laughs). I am here for a few days but I will go back soon,” smiles Aniruddha, who is very happy with the feedback coming his way for his new Zee5 film Rules Of The Game, which is part of an anthology. A chat with The Telegraph…
Are there plans of making a Bengali film soon?
Talks are on… yes, I will make a Bengali film soon. The script is ready. It is a love story.
What is the genesis of Rules Of The Game?
It is an important story, which came out from the atmosphere of today’s complex urban relationships… where we sometimes see that the dynamics are fading between couples after a few years of married life. It does not stem from anger or hatred. It comes from indifference and apathy. We did an experiment with the story. Shyamal Sengupta did the script.
Relationships form an integral part of your films. On top of it, this one is a thriller...
All my films are based on relationships. Here it is different. The ties that bind are fraying away because of boredom also. In the urban relationships of today, both the partners are working. And the husband and wife are under tremendous pressure to succeed and to perform really well, and to stay on top.
In the film the married couple (played by Aahana Kumra and Chandan Roy Sanyal) put in a bit of spice to revitalise their relationship (by indulging in role play). Sometimes that spice can go somewhere else. The film is about that and what happens next.
How would you describe the film’s genre?
It is a social thriller… a comment on today’s relationships. It becomes a thriller when they try to add the thrill to their lives... suddenly the story takes a different turn, it is more of a psychological, layered thriller, based on relationships.
How is the feedback till now?
I got a lot of congratulatory messages and phone calls and I am extremely happy with the feedback. I am overwhelmed.
Aahana plays a woman who takes risks. She is rebellious, someone who is living on the edge. Can you relate to her on some level?
Of course I can… I take so many risks even now. I am based out of Bombay now, trying to build a career of my own there. I thrive on the risks I take. Otherwise I’ll be stagnant. There is so much fun in taking risks. Otherwise one will get bored also. It is not advisable to maintain status quo or stay stagnant. There must be movement. There is a certain kind of fun to swim against the tide. You don’t know what will happen to you.
There is a line in the film that talks about love bites turning to cigarette burns. The film also takes a stand against marital abuse.
Yes. I felt strongly about the issue and wanted to portray it. Often married couples take things for granted. There can be emotional fights between the partners but it should never get physical. There cannot be abuse. It cannot go into the sphere of cigarette burns. I have been reading about stories of marital abuse for many years now in the newspapers. We live in a patriarchal society and it is about a power struggle… it is another expression of patriarchy… the man wants to dominate or underscore his point if he doesn’t have his way or fails to control. It is a film against marital abuse.
What does the phrase ‘rules of the game’ mean to you? Is it about reinvention?
Of course… the thrill is there when the winds of change start blowing. Change is the only constant. We often try to abide by rules but the rules change also.
The reinvention is applicable to your film-making as well...
Yes. As a human being I want to grow. I want to move, either upwards or sideways… I have to feel inspired when I am making a film. It can be successful or not but I have to try something new. The main thing is I want to participate — whether it is a success or a failure, I don’t care. I want to explore. If I am in love I want to burn. I don’t want to stay away and act like a coward. I want to be a part of something. I am not afraid of failure. Life is not all about winning. I am ready to learn.
But often we come across an attitude where only winning in life is celebrated and the person is judged on his or her wins. There is a certain kind of intolerance or condescension towards people who are not necessarily ‘winners’.
I am out of the competition. I don’t want to compete. In the future those people trying to be ‘winners’ might run out of steam after putting in so much effort on the running. We see people losing focus and compromising on values and ethics because of all this.
Something that happened with Amol in your film Bunohaans….
Exactly. I want to take a stroll and soak in everything. I want to enjoy the moment. I want to touch people’s lives through my films. Life cannot be all about winning and losing.
We see this interesting Cup Game in the film.
I had played the game numerous times in Calcutta, when I was 15 or 16… at the Gariahat More. I could never predict where the ball was… under which cup. I never won.
Why play it then?
So that I would not be happy (laughs). I knew I would not win, still I played it. I just wanted to figure out how far I could go with it. A man used to watch me play… one day he came up to me and said, “You will never win… those guys are way too smart for you”. You see that kind of a man in the film too.
How was it like directing Aahana, Chandan and Anindita Bose?
Prasun Mukherjee helped me in casting. I had three intense characters… Aahana, Chandan and Anindita were perfect for it. All three are extremely methodical, intelligent, talented, obedient… they know their job really well.