With his cop universe film Dawshom Awbotaar drawing footfalls, director Srijit Mukherji talks about the idea behind his double prequel and what went behind creating the mise-en-scene for the moody thriller.

Dawshom Awbotaar is getting a great response from the audience. How does it feel?

Srijit Mukherji: It feels good to be back with record-breaking box office numbers because for the last two-three years that has been the most important parameter for success across languages. This was even more satisfying because the other films which were released at the same time are very good and powerful. To beat these films in collection and to come on top is rewarding. Overall, it has been a brilliant Puja for Bengali films. If you put together the collections of all the films, it has been the best Puja where multiple films did well.

I think one of the key factors behind the tremendous buzz around Dawshom Awbotaar was the trailer, to begin with. The dialogues in the trailer really worked and contributed a lot to the buzz. And of course Anupam’s (Roy) music. The songs have crossed a million views on YouTube.

This has been a special Puja comeback for me. Alongside Dawshom Awbotaar, my Hoichoi web series Durgo Rahashya has received great subscription numbers.

We hardly see prequels in Bengali cinema. How did the idea come about?

Srijit Mukherji: When Dwitiya Purush was announced, Prosenjit Chatterjee said, ‘What happened to Probir?’ I said, ‘Probir blew his brains out and if he has to come back, it has to be a prequel. He can’t come back in a sequel.’ I promised him that I would get back with something as I was missing Probir Roy Chowdhury too. That was the chief trigger for the prequel — to bring back an iconic character.

I was making a Hindi series called Mahabharat Murders in 2017, based on Arnab Roy’s book. They asked for a second season and I had pitched for a story called Dashavatar Murders. This is the same plot which I used in Dawshom Awbotaar. When the series didn’t happen, I used that story and combined it with the return of Probir Roy Chowdhury. Then I added Bijoy Poddar and made it a double prequel of Baishey Srabon and Vinci Da.

Dawshom Awbotaar happens to be a howdunit…

Srijit Mukherji: Yes. It is a howdunit and whydunit. It takes the structure of Vinci da primarily with some modifications. People came up with fantastic fan theories on who the killer could be — from Bumba-da (Prosenjit Chatterjee) to Anirban Bhattacharya and Jaya Ahsan. One fan theory addressed the Bijoy Poddar (played by Anirban in Vinci Da) and Polton (played by Anirban in Dwitiya Purush) paradox. They thought Polton was Bijoy Poddar and Moitreyee Ghatak’s (played by Jaya Ahsan) son as they saw them romancing in Baundule Ghuri. But unfortunately, the killer was Jisshu’s character.

What went behind creating the look and feel of the film?

Srijit Mukherji: The look had to be gritty and edgy like Baishey Srabon as it belongs to the same franchise. Baishey Srabon and Dwitiya Purush also had the grittiness and edginess of the dark underbelly of Kolkata in the Tangra and Chinatown region.

The feel had to be moody and dreamy because of the kind of subject the film deals with. It deals with someone who thinks he is the tenth avatar of Vishnu. There is almost a hallucinatory mindscape involved. The images are dreamy and the film has surreal sequences.

I explored the lanes, nooks and corners of Kolkata. There are 46 new locations in Dawshom Awbotaar. One primary location which we repeated is the courtyard of Basubati where the climax of Baishey Srabon had unfolded. We also repeated the Everest building. It has already become a subject of memes. Three couples have been picturised on the same spot in three films kissing.

Music has always played an important part in your films. What was your brief for Anupam for Dawshom Awbotaar?

Srijit Mukherji: I don’t believe in giving briefs, especially to Anupam because I think he is essentially a singer songwriter. He is at his best when he composes for himself. He writes and composes freely and organically. He opens his diary for me and I listen to his songs, after which I decide which song is ideal for which situation in the film. Till now it has mostly matched.

In this film he has set the Dashavatara Stotra to music. That’s a fantastic thing and very challenging which he has accomplished. Ami Shei Manushta Nei is a prewritten song and we changed a lot of the lyrics to contextualise it, but the main hook line is the same. Baundule Ghuri is another situational song which he composed for the film. If his existing treasure trove of songs don’t fit in, I give Anupam some key words. I also help him as I am a lyricist myself. That is how the camaraderie plays out.

What drives you to write dialogues that are so raw and relatable?

Srijit Mukherji: Life. Characters all around me. Characters I’ve seen in college canteens. Characters I’ve grown up with. I think with Baishey Srabon the hesitancy of using foul and raw language was broken. People welcomed it with open arms and related to it majorly. After that it has become a part and parcel of my writing. All of it is drawn from real life, which is why they have become so popular.

Prosenjit Chatterjee told us that his bond with you is ‘like that of a couple’...

Srijit Mukherji: Absolutely. Like all couples, there have been ups and downs. At the end of the day the understanding we share kind of pulls us through. That has been the long-standing support for our collaboration over so many films. As an actor he’s as disciplined, methodical and hardworking as he was on the first day I met him.

What made you cast Jisshu Sengupta and Jaya Ahsan in the film?

Srijit Mukherji: Jisshu has been my favourite actor. I’ve always loved collaborating with him. I was the one who first imagined him as an antagonist in Rajkahini and then in Zulfiqar, after which his career as an antagonist blossomed in both the South and Bombay industries. I’m so proud of him. He has evolved so much as an actor, which allows me to present him in various ways. He was always a great instinctive actor and now he has become a combination of an instinctive actor who can also think and plan.

As far as Jaya is concerned, she’s a very dependable performer, someone with whom I’ve to spend very little time. She does her homework, comes to the set prepared. She is a delight to work with. I’m glad that I collaborated with both Jaya and Jisshu after the blockbuster Ek Je Chilo Raja.

Which is your favourite prequel film?

Srijit Mukherji: Batman Begins.