Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay’s novel Parineeta will see a new adaptation on Hoichoi, starring Gaurav Chakrabarty and Debchandrima Singha Roy. The trailer of the period drama was launched at Nat Mandir, Shobhabazar, an apt location considering the show’s timeline which dates back to 1905.
Set in a time when the struggle for Independence was raging through the veins of Bengal, the trailer shows Gaurav and Debchandrima as Shekhar and Lolita in outfits that take you back a century. Shot in royal backgrounds of Bengali houses from the British era, the show has a rustic aesthetic appeal.
The story revolves around a sudden meeting at a train station after years which results in old emotions resurfacing between protagonists Lalita and Shekhar. It sparks a tumultuous journey of love, jealousy, and complex bonds and follows the footsteps of Chattopadhyay’s timeless novel. Unlike previous adaptations of the novel, under Aditi Roy’s direction, the period drama is expected to be inspired by the novel without major changes in the storyline. It will be an interesting watch as viewers take in an original take on Parineeta and discover the journey of Shekhar and Lolita.
Gaurav, who was seen sporting a moustache and a cool white shirt, spoke to t2. He said: “I first read Parineeta when I was in high school and then when my father acted in the Hindi adaptation of the novel starring Saif Ali Khan and Vidya Balan. I have also seen the other adaptations of the novel which came out much before me…. the one starring Soumitra Chattopadhyay and Mousumi Chatterjee. Before reading the script, I went back and read the novel multiple times because I wanted to get the character right. When there is an adaptation, there are minor changes but my approach was to keep Shekhar as true to the text as possible. This adaptation of Parineeta is very different from the previous ones because this one sticks to the text. The Pradip Sarkar film had deviated from the original story.”
Talking about his look in the series, Gaurav added that there is a certain reason why Shekhar dresses the way he does considering his well-to-do family background and his education. “I had to get the language spot-on! I take pride in my command over English and Bengali but the Bengali we speak now is different from what was spoken in the early 1900s… the enunciation was different,” he said.
Debchandrima also spoke to us from Mumbai where she is shooting a Hindi serial. The actress said: “Moving out of Calcutta meant I was moving out of my comfort zone. Initially, I was alone here but then I got my staff here from Calcutta and things are comfortable now. I was born and brought up in Singur but moved to Calcutta to pursue acting.”
She is now based in Andheri West and is currently shooting for the TV serial Suhagan Chudail on Colours and wants to work in both the Bengali and the Hindi industries. Talking about the scene in Mumbai she said: “Talks are ongoing for other projects and what I love about Mumbai is that irrespective of your seniority, you will always have to audition for roles here which is how it should be. Another thing that I always need to take care of here is Hindi. The language in itself has not been my go-to earlier and when shooting for a mythological serial, the language is even more complicated.”
Talking about her role as Lolita in Parineeta, she said: “I had read the novel and watched every film based on the book. However, I tried not to watch too much because then you try to emulate. Aditidi and Sharbaridi helped me a lot and I was always asked to stick to the script. I am someone who speaks too fast and Aditidi would tell me to slow down because the woman I was playing is a composed, traditional woman. In fact, before shooting for Parineeta I actually isolated myself in my house and did not go out or meet anyone. I would wear saris and stay at home to perfect the body language and the way people spoke back then. Gauravda is a person of few words, especially with strangers. Since it was my first time working with him, initially we had a limited exchange but later on, when we shot in locations where there was no network, we would have many conversations. He also helped me a lot with approaching the character. We have really worked hard for Parineeta.”
Aditi Roy, who looked gorgeous in a red and white sari at the trailer launch, said: “We have made Parineeta with the utmost care, it is very close to the original text of Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay. I am sure everyone has read the timeless story of Parineeta which has been adapted into films and plays several times. Our take on this story has been penned by Sharbari Ghoshal and without her, this would not have been possible. The shooting was done extensively across four rajbaris in 17 days.”
Parineeta is set to release on Hoichoi on August 15.
