Actress-turned-director Chaiti Ghoshal has started the shoot of her film, Nevermind, which stars Rituparna Sengupta, Amartya Ray (Chaiti’s son), Anusha Viswanathan, and Rudranil Ghosh.

“Directing my first film has been an amazing experience. I felt the thrill when the characters came alive in front of me. Filmmaking is a director’s medium, and my respect for it has increased manifold. One needs to have a cool head and implement properly what is there on paper. One needs a lot of skill and knowledge to execute the responsibilities of a director. That is very exciting for me. I was thrilled when I saw Rituparna becoming Trina on the sets. She totally transformed herself. I couldn’t see my friend there; I could only see Trina,” said Chaiti.

The film is about a woman’s search for something from her past that brings her to a Park Street bar where she meets a charismatic young bar singer with whom she forms a strange connection.

“Creation has this magical quality to it and once it inspires you, only then can you take such a decision. It is a big decision for me to direct this film. And I did not know that I had this passion inside me like a dormant volcano. I always feel that one has to collaborate on a piece of work... if you can inspire a community as a director, then the sky is the limit,” said Chaiti.

Amartya and Chaiti

“We have known each other for more than 25 years. Chaitidi is like family to me. You’ll see her in all my family functions. I admire her work. I remember watching Raktakarobi twice. We have acted in a few films. I always feel very close to Chaitidi. We have things in common. She is affectionate towards me. I feel she is like my elder sister. Chaitidi has been working on Nevermind relentlessly... for a very long time. So one day I told her: ‘Never mind Chaitidi, we will do it!’ The title of the film also intrigued me,” said Rituparna.

“The shoot has been very exciting. We have shot on a busy Park Street. I have been an integral part of the film. I am working closely with the directorial team also. Over time I have informed my character with my sensibilities; I am also a musician. I am really living the character in that sense, shaping the body language,” said Amartya, whose character Jude is very emotional, and he has been able to tap into that emotional core.

“That was very important for me. Also, on set, I could feed off from Rituparna’s energy. The communication with my mother has been very easy. My mother has always been very supportive. She believes in me, in my work. She has inspired me all her life. My mother is a very talented artiste. We have discussed a lot about the characters, the storyline and its treatment. When she tells me something about work, I trust her completely. My mother recognises the emotional value of a scene. She understands that very well,” said Amartya.