Actors Saswata Chatterjee and Saurav Das joined Team Pratidwandi on the sets in October. And the shoot of the film, directed by Saptaswa Basu, has been going on in full swing. With the medical profession as the backdrop, Pratidwandi, a crime thriller — starring Saswata, Rudranil Ghosh, Saurav, Saayoni Ghosh, Maahi and Rini Ghosh — pays tribute to Satyajit Ray’s Calcutta trilogy. We chat with director Saptaswa...

What scenes did you have with Saswata Chatterjee on his first day of shoot?

Apuda (Saswata) is playing the role of a doctor. A reputed one. Apuda was as usual in his elements. He had his first scenes with Saurav, Rini and Saayoni. It played out really well as the dynamism was great. We had both interior and exterior scenes, and some scenes in a hospital that we did on a set. It’s very exciting to build a set from scratch and put the characters there. In combination with other actors such as Rudranilda, Saayoni, Saurav, Rini and Maahi, it was very interesting to frame them in different compositions and watch the performance. Pure delight.

Did he get into character immediately?

He (Saswata) read the character sketch and immediately he was Doctor Bakshi. He could understand the pulse and motivation of the character and added his inputs. It was a seamless transition. An actor of his stature, I feel, lives many characters, many lives. His mind absorbs and executes like that.

How did the scenes between Rudranil and Saswata work out? How was the vibe?

It’s like an acting masterclass going on. They are old friends and the vibe between them was like brothers. They are two of the best actors of our country who complement each other very well. Critical scenes were there with them, in combination with Saurav too. Bringing out the conflict between two characters is never easy but they made it look effortless. Their scenes brought out the theme of the film, the rivalry between a doctor and a maths teacher and the build-up behind it. The mise-en-scene, the narration arc, all had to be accurate. Both had brilliant inputs to the filming process and the audience is in for a treat. To develop the intensity of the scenes they had done a few improvs which worked very well and it seemed organic.

How are their acting styles different in approaching a scene?

I felt their approach to a scene has common points as both try to bring out the human element in the story. Both of them had that priority. Style-wise they have their own methods. Saswatada tries to keep the script as the baseline and adds his flavour to it while Rudranilda sometimes is unpredictable and approaches a scene quite differently than expected. I have been flexible in keeping some of that spontaneity in the filming process. Both of them explored the story in-depth and that has helped to make every scene very real.

How was your experience working with Saurav Das?

He has read the character well and built it up in a subtle manner. We are habituated in seeing super sleuths on screen but here is a middle-class guy with a law degree trying to make ends meet by choosing an unconventional profession of solving crimes in the heart of the city. And his development on the same is brilliant. His scenes will push the tension factor and provide a nail-biting experience.

What are his strong points as an actor?

Saurav is a very intelligent actor. I am still filming with him as there are lots of location changes and a thriller requires innumerable shots to build up a detective character and his team. Saurav will be seen with Rini, playing Jenny... and this team is quite unconventional from what we see in detective novels or shows. Rajdeep Sarkar is the other team member of this agency. So this young group of actors represent the present generation of our city and it gives a message that in the current socio-economic time, you have to survive by choosing a job that may not be straightforward or conventional. Saurav and team helped me to bring out this factor clearly in the story.

When are you completing the shoot?

We will be completing it mid-November. The shoot is shaping up well. We have divided the film location and set-wise and are executing it. Saurav and Saayoni have some of their scenes left, along with Rini and some others. There is quite a segment of drama between these characters, which adds another human angle to these characters, who otherwise will always be seen involved in some brutal scenarios. These scenes will bring out the breathing space in the film.

What is left?

There are chase sequences, some action, explosion, romance, and certain investigative scenes plus some shots of Saayoni’s political angle. These scenes take time to film and I want to do it for a large-screen experience.

What is your next project?

My next project is still in the preparation process. I will try to change the genre that I have been working on and take up something else. Maybe a full-on drama or even a sci-fi, but a sense of mystery always attracts me, so the next one will be different from the crime genre but with a sense of twist or unpredictability.