After the positive response of his short film Brown, director Rohan Ghose has now wrapped up the shoot of his next Hindi short film White, a dark comedy, which is a part of Hai Taubba on ALTBalaji. A t2 chat with Rohan....

Chandreyee Ghosh in White, streaming on ALTBalaji from May 21

How did you conceive White? What is the genesis?

White is a dark comedy, part of the anthology Hai Taubba — Chapter 2 streaming on May 21, only on ALTBalaji. It is about a girl who has started greying at a very young age. She wants to break through as an Internet comedian but is still searching for her first viral video. To complicate matters, her hermit-like sex life is not really making it any easier for her.

Bibriti Chatterjee in White, streaming on ALTBalaji from May 21

What is the storyline?

Tania, an aspiring comedian, stuck in a boring job is finally convinced by her friend to meet up with a man she meets on a dating app. They decide to go for a “holi-date” where things get out of hand for her as it turns into a comedy of errors with a sinister twist.

Why the name White?

After the resounding success of Brown I wanted to name this story after yet another colour. And given how white stands for naivety or innocence, however you look at it, I went for it. Also the fact that the protagonist’s unnatural greying was adding more substance to the name.

One of the characters is a social media influencer. How important is her influence on the story?

Tania, the person whose journey we follow, is an aspiring Internet comedian. The story is about her discovering her mojo through the most extraordinary of all circumstances. One can say it’s her story but you would have to see this to know how the other characters are the ones who shape this up actually.

Tell us about the cast and characters? Who plays whom?

Bibriti Chatterjee plays Tania while Atmadeep Ghosh plays the new love interest in her life. Chandreyee Ghosh plays Gayatri who is an alpha-female who turns the story in a new direction, while Aryan Roy plays Samrat, a man Tania is attracted to at her most vulnerable state. I must mention Atmadeep as someone who has matured into such a fine actor; watch out for him. Saoli Chattopadhyay plays the quirkiest character in the film, Savita Bhabhi, the foul-mouthed, heavily pregnant friend of the protagonist. She was a delight to direct as well.

Atmadeep Sourced by The Telegraph

What are your thoughts on dating apps?

Well, I come from a generation where blind dating was an option fraught with danger. I have never been on any such apps but have a few close friends who are. I was amazed initially at the ease of it but soon realised it is very difficult to actually find “true love” via such apps. But yes, one cannot ignore it as the primary mode of dating in today’s day and age.

Aryan Sourced by The Telegraph

How was it like directing Chandreyee?

Chandreyee is a powerhouse performer. Have been an admirer of her work for years now. We got to work together for the first time during Damayanti last year where she was so good as the antagonist who actually wasn’t one (laughs). I have always looked at myself as an actor’s director. And when you work with performers like her, you get to express so much more as a maker. This was a happy reunion for sure.

What was your takeaway from the shoot?

I have always believed that people who work often together always end up adding that much more every time they collaborate. My crew remained the same. Prosenjit Choudhuri, my DoP and now a close friend, was a dream to work with. To add to that, friends like Joydip Banerjee, my creative producer and also my co-writer on this along with Soumit Deb, made a very tight schedule a breeze. This was a new team for me that suddenly started feeling like a family. For me, film-making is like war, everyone needs to make sure they can be counted upon.

Saoli Sourced by The Telegraph

How challenging was it to shoot during the pandemic?

Calling this a whirlwind would be an understatement. I must mention my producers Keylight India who had to suddenly shift the post-production to Mumbai due to the lockdown here. I have the prior experience of finishing post during lockdown last year for Kaali 2. But remote-controlling the online process is certainly a learning experience. I guess one can call this the new normal.

What are the high points of White?

We are living in the toughest of times now. All the strife, all the pain around us made me feel if we could make someone laugh for a bit, it would go a long way in making someone’s day better. Hopefully White ends up doing just that. The whole cast and crew worked in such risky times, risking not just their lives but that of their loved ones as well, it’s only fair that it turns out as well as we wish it does. This hope is what stands out for me as the high point of making White.