Shieladitya Moulik’s film Surjo completed 100 days at the theatres recently. To commemorate this feat, the cast and crew gathered for a celebratory party at OG By the Lake in Topsia, recounting fun anecdotes from their time on set and cutting a cake to mark the film’s success. Present were actors Vikram Chatterjee and Darshana Banik, who play Surjo and Diya in the film respectively, as well as actor Sridip Mukhopadhyay and cinematographer Ayan Sil. The film also stars Madhumita Sarcar, whose birthday coincided with the day of the party.

The get-together was fun, light-hearted, and informal, with the cast getting candid about their thoughts on the film. Both Darshana and Vikram were particularly eloquent in their praise for the story as well as their gratitude to the audience, who, they said, have contributed to the film pulling quite a few housefull shows in recent weeks.

The cast and crew cut a cake to celebrate the success of the film.

“We feel extremely blessed. We never expected this to happen,” said Vikram, looking dapper in a white-and-blue ensemble. “Our film released in mid-July, and in our industry, there is a popular belief that July isn’t a great time for releases. Not to mention that Calcutta has seen extremes of environment in the last three months – there have been difficult times right before the Durga Puja festivities, and Pujo itself saw lots of big Bengali and Hindi films being released. It is entirely due to the audience that our film has been able to run for 100 days. We would like to thank the audience for helping us achieve this milestone – we are truly humbled and grateful, and it is an absolute privilege to be here today.”

When asked about why he thinks the film resonated with audiences so deeply, Vikram is ready with an answer. “The primary message of the film is one of positivity, peace, and hope, which are lacking in the world today. That was the main reason why we wanted to tell this story; we wanted to create something that would infuse that positivity, peace, and hope in our audience. It’s also what I think worked in building a bridge between the audience and the film. In today’s world especially, positivity is a very rare attribute, and if a film can spread a little bit of positivity in the dark times we live in, that makes it special.”

Darshana Banik

Darshana, graceful as ever, shared similar sentiments. She also spoke fondly of her experiences shooting in the exquisite locales of Arunachal Pradesh, telling us how the area’s lush landscapes added a special charm to the film. “We shot in the middle of the monsoon, and Arunachal becomes green when it rains. It was such a lovely experience shooting there because it was so beautiful. And of course, it was great sharing space with Vikram and Madhumita. The audience has loved my character Diya because I believe they were able to relate to her. I received so many calls and text messages appreciating my work and I’m just very happy and grateful to have been able to be part of this film. Everybody has been very kind, and we are indebted to the audience for supporting us.”

Vikram Chatterjee

The party ended on a happy note, culminating in a cake-cutting ceremony and the team applauding Surjo’s success.