A new year characterises itself with novel beginnings. For filmmaker Saptaswa Basu, 2023 starts off with the release of his film Doctor Bakshi on January 20. “The trailer has generated quite a buzz and this medical thriller with sci-fi is surely a high note to start off the year with. People attach a sense of freshness, initiation and in some cases, redemption, with the new year,” says Saptaswa. A The Telegraph chat...
What are your plans of releasing Doctor Bakshi?
We have plans to release Doctor Bakshi nationally in various centres all over the country. We have plans to distribute it overseas as well. The content has a global appeal and the themes of medical scams is relatable to the worldwide audience. We are targeting a strong run at the box office and we are optimistic that its success will open the doors for us to innovate with more experimental subjects.
Subhashree (left) & Parambrata in Doctor Bakshi, which releases on January 20
As a producer, would you encourage young producers to come forward in Tollywood? What would be your advice to them?
I will definitely encourage young entrepreneurs and producers to come aboard the film industry. It’s an exciting role with a scope for great expansion. But one must be prepared to face every kind of battle from day one. There will be more demotivation than encouragement, that’s the biggest thing one has to be prepared for. Since I am a realist myself, I always advice others to logically weigh the pros and cons in every factor before taking a calculated risk. The role of a producer is a full-time job, one cannot do it part-time or as a hobby. If one wants to merge creativity with business, they have to put in long hours for it. The pay-off will be big when the produced content runs for numerous weeks in halls and the audience all over showers in their love and appreciation.
Are you exploring the comedy genre next?
As a director, I have two most important projects in the pipeline, which are of completely different genres. I am exploring comedyfantasy genre for the first time and have started on the treatment of Narod Narod, a satire set in rural Bengal. A comment on the roots and language of Bengal and how our modern age lives in a blend of cross culture. It’s thematically a very new attempt. The casting will be full of surprises and may include names from Bollywood as well. Just like I tried a new genre in Doctor Bakshi, I will be attempting something way beyond conventional storytelling in this one, yet keeping dollops of entertainment throughout.
What are your plans as a creative producer?
As a creative producer I will be starting with Lungiman this January, directed by Asim Aktar and produced by Sahi Bangla. It will explore themes of cow smuggling and edgy action. I feel a raw action thriller will work well in the theatres and Bonny (Sengupta) will be well accepted as an anti-hero. It will be shot in parts of north Bengal, Raiganj and other areas. The name of our project is unusual and it has already attracted quite a mixed reaction but we want to push the boundaries of action thriller in this content with various elements of comedy so as to make it a perfect masala entertainer.
Do you have a dream project?
Down the year I have plans to start with Aagun Pakhi, which has been a dream project of mine for quite a few years. It all started when I was researching some science forums about artificially creating rainfalls, the technique used in many dry areas to sustain farming and moisture levels of the surface. The idea came suddenly that what if someone tries to play God and manipulates nature or natural forces. I have been a fan of the novel Are You Afraid of the Dark? by Sidney Sheldon and wanted to incorporate certain themes from it. My writings have always had a touch of inspiration from classic writers such as Stephen King, Sidney Sheldon, Michael Crichton, John Grisham and others and the genesis of Agun Pakhi happened likewise. It will, of course, star some very prominent cast members along with a number of talented young and new faces.
What are your thoughts on involving new cast and crew members in your films?
From the very first film I have tried to involve both stars and new talents, have worked with established technicians and also new cinematographers, CG artists and so on. Coming from a background of no filmy contacts or lobby, I have myself faced certain issues or obstacles in expressing myself or creating my work. Even certain industry seniors are very unwelcoming to new ones and strictly follow certain lobby favourites, I have seen that. I have worked with quite a few talented batch of people recently, some of whom have theatre backgrounds and some with multitasking ability, having knowledge about performance and behind the camera as well, such as Devtanu, Akshay, Maahi and others.
There are a number of talents I have handpicked for Narod Narod and Aagun Pakhi as well. I wish to bring in a structure of campusing or job placement in the field of films/web series. Just like there is a proper channel of employment in corporates, I wish there was something like that instead of random auditions and casting through personal bias. These factors are harming the overall growth. Through my company, we will be starting off certain workshops and properly designed screen tests to select talents. Definitely for Narod Narod it will happen.
What’s your take on the Bengali box office?
We have seen quite a few superhits, which are all quite enjoyable and finely made. It is discussed among peers that probably the adventure genre works best in Bengali or certain films with family elements or a throwback to classics will do well.
But our BO success should not limit us to trying only particular genres. This is a good time for Bengali films... all the Christmas releases have done so much better than the Hindi release in the same week. We need to utilise this footfall in the halls and take a leap in terms of content, performance and theatrical count. We are unable to push the budget due to limited profits, as per statistics, whereas recent Malayalam or Kannada films have done business of hundreds of crores, which is unimaginable till now in Bengali. Once our film gets a buzz across states and borders we will be able to change our business model completely.
How do you deal with criticism?
I take criticism in a positive manner. But I want to mention first that I do not pay heed to all sorts of criticisms, only the constructive ones. During shooting, I am open to suggestions and innovations. I am always a believer of the fact that art is a collaborative medium. A team must come together and explore and argue about ideas to make something unique. So when I present a work, I am open to criticisms. However these days, due to many preconceived notion and an urge to show off, many comments or criticisms are posted which sometimes do not make sense.
To understand or analyse ones’ work, one has to love the medium and have a basic knowledge about it and a basic respect towards the medium or teamwork is expected. Therefore I keep myself aloof from those kind of posts, even if they are appreciative and I focus on the constructive ones, from which I can learn about the analysis of others or what they have deconstructed and derived from my work.
The makers’ perspective can be completely different than the viewers’ and it’s interesting to know those variations. I take criticism in a sporting manner and I know that pleasing each and everyone is a rigorous task, as films act as a commentary on our socio-economic-political state and therefore it will incite certain criticisms always.
