After Sagardwipey Jawker Dhan, Koel Mallick is returning as Ruby Chatterjee in Sonar Kellaye Jawker Dhan — the third part in the Jawker Dhan franchise — but as a psychiatrist. During the Jaisalmer shoot of the film directed by Sayantan Ghoshal, co-starring Parambrata Chattopadhyay and Gaurav Chakrabarty, we chatted with Koel about her association with the place and the franchise.
Is this your first time in Jaisalmer?
Koel Mallick: I have been to Rajasthan before, in Ranthambore and Jaipur, but never visited Jaisalmer. We shot the film for 14 days and I explored a lot of Jaisalmer. I came to know about so many places in between shooting. There is a shop whose owner is from Kolkata. He used to live in Lake Gardens. He was so moved after watching Satyajit Ray’s Sonar Kellar that he left his shop and house in Kolkata and started his life here. He has been living in Jaisalmer for the last 33 years. That is the magic of cinema.
Did you get time to pick up knick-knacks for your home?
Koel Mallick: I have seen many places from where I would like to buy things. I have decided what to buy for my son Kabir. I want to get him puppets, and a printed T-shirt with a moustache and turban.
What made you say yes to Sayantan Ghoshal when he first approached you with the character of Ruby Chatterjee?
Koel Mallick: Writer Sougata Basu and Sayantan Ghoshal came to me with Sonar Kellaye Jawker Dhan. Before Sagardwipey Jawker Dhan, they had done Jawker Dhan, which was a big hit, and I got into the franchise after that. I was very excited because, for the first time, I was a part of a franchise. It was fascinating because of the lack of adventure thrillers in Bengali. I was very excited to play Ruby Chatterjee, a scientist, who in Sagardwipey Jawker Dhan was protecting a girl from another planet.
How much has Ruby Chatterjee evolved through the two films?
Koel Mallick: In Sonar Kellaye Jawker Dhan, Ruby Chatterjee is a psychiatrist. The romance between Ruby and Bimal has matured. They can understand each other’s instincts and thought patterns. This is an adventure thriller and travelogue in which we are in Rajasthan in search of something. I feel fortunate that we are part of a film where a wave of nostalgia around Ray’s Sonar Kella, which is precious to the hearts of people, is being explored in such a big way.
Do you think Sonar Kella as a destination evokes a sort of nostalgia in Bengalis?
Koel Mallick: There are a lot of beautiful places in Rajasthan but only Sonar Kella holds that sense of nostalgia for Bengalis. We thought of this film primarily as Mukul’s story. When I came here for the first time, the tourist guides didn’t know that we were here to shoot a film. They casually showed us Mukul’s house. When Sonar Kella was made, it became a tourist attraction in Jaisalmer.
