It’s her idea, but he doesn’t know why she has called him there. Konishka and Mili are at Mainland China on Gurusaday Road, having dinner. From General Tso’s Chicken, noodles to Crackling Spinach, a variety of food is laid out on the table. Eventually, they start talking. Mili is pregnant, and she breaks the news to Konishka and he doesn’t take it well. He is very matter-of-fact about it and she doesn’t take that well, and they get into an “emotional tussle”.

“Cut,” says director Pratim Dasgupta, who has started the shoot of his new Bengali film Chaalchitro — The Frame Fatale. It is a thriller starring Tota Roy Choudhury (who plays Konishka), Raima Sen (who plays Mili), Shantanu Maheshwari, Anirban Chakrabarti, Swastika Dutta and more. “Konishka and Mili are in a ‘tired marriage’. It’s been 13-14 years. They don’t have a child. When he wanted a child, she prioritised her career. Now she is pregnant and has come here to break the news to him. Konishka is not interested right now. He is in his mid-40s. In his head, it is too late. She is like, ‘I’m running out of time; maybe I would like to have a child.’ I wanted to explore this space,” says Pratim. A t2 chat with Pratim on the sets of Chaalchitro — The Frame Fatale in Calcutta....

What was the starting point for Chaalchitro — The Frame Fatale?

Hasanda (producer Firdausul Hasan) and I have been chatting over many years on what project to collaborate on again after Shaheb Bibi Golam. There was an interest in making Shaheb Bibi Golam 2 for a long time, I also felt that kind of thriller is ageless. I had thought of a sequel where it is a new story but the format is the same... that there is an older man, a woman and a man from the lower middle class. We were very happy with the idea but when we tried to cast it, we were not getting the cast that we wanted.

We still wanted to work together. Parallely, all my projects in Bombay are in the development stage or the writing stage. I had last directed Tooth Pari, which was one-and-a-half years ago. I had done post-production for all those episodes for a year, and then it was released. I don’t see any of the Bombay projects going to the floor immediately. So I thought that I must direct something. In Calcutta, I am used to making one film a year. I might have got more street cred after directing a Hindi web series, better work opportunities in Bombay, and more so-called saleable people to work with in Bombay.

Pratim

Back home, my friends and family members wanted me to direct a Bengali film once again. I felt, ‘Why not?’. Hasanda and I jammed once again. With this film, we are entering the lives of four cops and the women in their lives. I am exploring their home lives. Their lives inside and outside. The body of it is a murder investigation.

The four cops are investigating a series of murders...

And how their personal lives get entwined and influenced by whatever is happening in the case. The cops are played by Tota Roy Choudhury, Shantanu Maheshwari, Anirban Chakrabarti and Indrajit Bose.

When did you write the script?

In April... and it took a shape of its own. The film is an investigative thriller.

Tell us about your casting choices....

I remember I had offered Tota a role in Ahare Mon. At that time it didn’t work out. Tota was so good in Kahaani 2... post Ahalya there was a second coming for Tota... I was looking for a guy who was tough and yet sensitive. If you think about it, it is really tough to find someone like that in this industry. Tota is a lovely mix of both. He is an actor who gives you exactly what you want. He gelled very well with Shantanu.

I started writing about someone who is like Shantanu, who understands Bangla, can speak bits of Bangla, has Bengali friends, and has a strong Bengali connection. But not necessarily a Bengali guy. Post Tooth Pari, Shantanu is doing a lot of solid stuff. He is doing very good work. Shantanu really wanted to do this. In the film, his dialogues are a mix of Bengali, Hindi and English.

Raima is very interesting to work with. There is a lovely girl-woman thing in Raima. The girl in her will always stay. She has this beautiful blend of maturity and naivety when she says her lines.

Tota and Raima were together in Chokher Bali....

I really liked them in Chokher Bali. They didn’t have a lot of scenes together and both were very good, and I am always curious about the people whom Rituda (Rituparno Ghosh) used to work with. I want to work with them. He made those choices for some reason. Tota was so good in Chokher Bali; Raima was so good in Rituda’s films. And now that I am working with them, I realise why. They are director’s actors. They used to bring his script alive.

How do you look at your last Bengali film, Love Aaj Kal Porshu?

It would have been a good web series. It released just before Covid-19, I don’t think it had a big-screen life. It’s the kind of story you like to see in a web series. Bengali films are at a stage where people will come into the theatres knowing there is some kind of familiarity.

Do thrillers give that familiarity?

I think so. The thriller format brings familiarity. If it is made well, and if it has a heart, it’ll connect.

What can the audience expect from this film?

It is a human thriller. It’s a thriller with a big heart. You’ll feel for these characters.

How do you plan your Day One? Do you begin with a tough scene?

Not necessarily. It is important to set the benchmark. The first day should be long so that it sets the tone for the rest of the shoot. It should be at a location which is under your control. I took time with the first scene. The first day went very well, and it took some time which was necessary.