It was a song launch unlike any other that took place in the heart of the Ganges aboard the Vivada Cruise on December 13. Team Shri Swapankumar-er Badami Hyena’r Kobole got together to launch Missile utshob, a song written by the film’s director Debaloy Bhattacharya.
Inspired by the pulp stories of Swapankumar, the film stars Abir Chatterjee in the lead as Deepak Chatterjee, a detective in his novels, along with Paran Bandyopadhyay as the writer Swapankumar. Shruti Das takes on the role of Tashi and Pratik Dutta is seen as Ratanlal. In a city threatened by the international terrorist Badami Hyena, a forgotten detective, Deepak Chatterjee, is brought out of retirement by his creator, prolific pulp writer Swapankumar.
As one cruised from one end of the river to another, the song composed by Amit Chatterjee and sung by Rishi Panda, struck a chord. The name of the song refers to a concept deeply embedded within the film itself. “It’s a celebration of carnage,” said Debaloy. The story sees Deepak Chatterjee and his confidant Ratanlal on a mission to find the notorious terrorist Badami Hyena.
“We’ve said what was on our minds through the film and its songs. The song and the theme of the movie stand far removed from the real world and the way things are told in the real world, usually. It’s bordering on a surreal world that has emerged from one’s imagination. I’m eagerly waiting to find out how this out-of-the-box experience stands with the people. It’s a unique experience, launching a song on a cruise. The river, the monuments, Howrah Bridge, everything represents my city and Deepak Chatterjee’s city as well, so I feel it’s a kind of tribute that we’re paying. I love the song,” said Abir.
“I wanted to write a romantic song relevant to modern times but also a song that can become Deepak Chatterjee’s song. Missile utshob for me is purely a romantic number. The main challenge of making the film was to create an imaginative world, cross the boundaries of imagination and create larger-than-life surreal images. I think the song encompasses the same. The song depicts a kind of love which is larger than life. I wanted to capture the imaginative world of Deepak Chatterjee, Swapan Kumar and Badami Hyena, in the film,” said Debaloy.
“This is the first time that I’ve worked on a song like this. The visual effects are fabulous and creative. The song has been made as a combination of imagination and reality. The number captures a romantic angle between Deepak Chatterjee (the protagonist) and Tashi (played by Shruti Das). It’s in sync with the imaginative world of Deepak Chatterjee and does justice to the song,” said composer Amit Chatterjee.
“When Amit called me for the first time and offered the song, I readily accepted the offer without listening to the composition because I’m his fan. But when I heard the song, I found it totally unique. This is my first major playback and it’s a huge deal for me. I’m really happy to be a part of this project. The track has been modified as per the requirements of the film. The current Missile utshob is the product of at least five to six retakes. And finally, we’re satisfied. We had a lot of fun recording it. The song talks about the love between two people and compares it with the way two mushrooms bloom and grow,” said Rishi.
“Pulp drama has rarely been explored in Bengali cinema, and considering this is Hoichoi Studios’ inaugural project, it had to be nothing short of spectacular. Abir and Shruti delivered impeccable performances, while Paranda’s acting prowess is bound to leave the audience spellbound, as he always does. I eagerly hope that the release of the first look managed to pique the audience’s curiosity and build excitement for the film. The film wouldn’t have been possible without the support of Hoichoi Studios. Almost a forgotten character, unacknowledged and hidden, Swapankumar’s Deepak Chatterjee has the potential to stand out. We’ve worked on making it a detective film, one that hasn’t been chanced upon before. Here’s hoping everyone will like it,” said director Debaloy Bhattacharya.
“We have tried our hands at something new, both treatment and look-wise. The film questions whether we have lost the ability to imagine, be lost in a land of fantasy and propel a deep-seated creativity within us. This movie addresses the fact that people are too busy living, in reality, to enjoy some moments of respite revelling in their imagination and thoughts. This is different and unique that’s for sure,” said Abir.
