It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...” The line that famously opens Charles Dickens’ historical work is what comes to my mind most as I think of the release of our film Padatik. Friends Communication completes a decade of producing films, each of which has created a remarkable niche for itself in the archive of meaningful cinema — be it the National Award-winning Mayurakhshi by Atanu Ghosh or Aparajito, directed by Anik Dutta, our tribute to the master storyteller, Satyajit Ray, whose films put Bengali and Indian films on the global map or our latest release Padatik.

Aparajito not only created records at the box office but went on to win numerous awards from critics and festival committees both in the national and international world of cinema. Recently Aparajito won the National Award in two categories, for make-up and production design. Somnath Kundu’s make-up transformed Jeetu Kamal into the look of Satyajit Ray and it was Somnath Kundu again who transformed the famous actor from Bangladesh Chanchal Chowdhury and helped create his look as Mrinal Sen for Padatik.

Padatik can easily be called Srijit Mukherji’s best work for the super skill, the craft and the sensitivity with which he has fleshed out the story of the maverick master of movie making, Mrinal Sen. Friends Communication is proud to have made films to pay tribute to Satyajit Ray and to Mrinal Sen, the two giants of Indian films, who changed our idea of how frames can look, what our focus can be and how movies can portray the eternal conflict within the creative mind.

We were delighted when Mrinal Sen’s son came down from Chicago to join us for the premiere of Padatik, which is the official biopic of Mrinal Sen. Padatik has already won credits and accolades at national and international film festivals; it has been hugely acclaimed by cine lovers across our city. Most of the audience is of the opinion that this is Chanchal Chowdhury’s best performance to date. A lot of research, hard work and creativity has gone into the making of Padatik and it’s unfortunate that in spite of our plans, Padatik could not be released in Bangladesh right now.

Faith is the vision of the director

Everyone who knows me has heard me repeat that I am into the business of films from a certain conviction, a certain faith. Faith in the vision of the director, faith in the talent of the actors, and the hundreds of people whose creativity and relentless effort for perfection make films like Aparajito or Padatik materialise on celluloid. Padatik was our tribute to Mrinal Sen and the release of Padatik was our way of honouring the relentless hard work of the entire team.

It is great to see the graph rising positively as the theatres have been running houseful since week two. As a producer, I firmly believe that a film can be called “good” only if the audience likes it and it is heartening to see that the audience is coming to the theatres to watch Padatik into the third week. In keeping with the demand of our audience, we are planning a pan-India and international release of Padatik in the coming weeks.

Making films on the lives and works of the two giants of Indian cinema, Ray in Aparajito and Mrinal Sen in Padatik, by two of the most renowned contemporary directors, Anik Dutta and Srijit Mukherji, within a span of two years, gives us at Friends Communication a massive sense of accomplishment. The hundreds who were part of the teams know what a mammoth task it was since the shooting of Aparajito had begun just before the pandemic that brought our lives to a dark halt. The journey of Padatik has not been easy either. In Padatik, Srijit has deftly merged real footage of Tagore’s final journey, with real-time shots involving thousands of people, which were challenging to shoot.

The process of making a film from that first spark of inception to the applause of the audience is in itself a fulfilling journey and maybe that is what helps people like us to continue to take risks, despite the huge hurdles we keep facing. The obstacles are overpowering, but does that mean we will stop walking on our chosen path?

Art has always been a reflection of the times they were made in; masters and mavericks like Ray and Mrinal Sen have worked to give shape to their beliefs and if change is the only constant then the padatiks, the crusaders, the foot soldiers within us, will continue to walk ahead and tell in their own little ways, what needs to be said. I am grateful to the film enthusiasts who are helping to make Padatik a success and proving that it is perhaps the best of times for such films.