After directing the film Shohorer Upokotha, director Bappa has completed the shoot of the film Negative. While Shohorer Upokotha explores the moral decadence of society, this film delves into the recesses of death, engulfed by a lone artiste. Struggling to eke out a living, he is caught in the dilemma of survival and fatality.
Vishwakarma (Rahul Banerjee) is a struggling photographer but no one around him understands the depths of his aesthetic sensibilities. Everyone around him and his prospective employers too believe that he’s a very bad photographer. He doesn’t get work, as he is only serious about taking pictures of dead people. Vishwakarma’s wife Mala (Debleena Dutt) works in a factory to help the family amidst extreme financial difficulties. Amidst the myriad turmoil and tension, she feels an inexplicable respect and compassion for her husband’s work, somewhere deep within. As the narrative progresses, Vishwakarma starts to become increasingly lonely, lost in his psyche of futility.
“The thoroughness and honesty of a story, to my mind, is its true strength. These were the primary reasons for me going ahead with the film, Negative. I quite loved how my character Mala was etched out. I have already done a project with Bappa, named Tribhuj. But that didn’t dwell upon these challenging intricacies of societal strata struggle. The chemistry between the couple, Viswakarma and Mala, is very true to life and it’s always a pleasure to essay such a role. Having such a dedicated and talented co-actor like Rahul made the journey of exploring the class conflicts and dilemmas very intriguing. The meticulous detailing by Bappa, helped us to level up our performances,” said Debleena.
“I personally quite liked working in the film Negative. One of the primary reasons is that it has many spaces to explore as an actor. While the story follows a linear structure, sometimes it flows into non-linear... and at times, it grows into a thought space. Performing in those myriad spaces is very challenging as an actor,” said Rahul.
“The pivotal character of this story, Vishwakarma seeks validation for his art. He is joined in this struggle by his wife Mala. This fight is in a sense of continuum and in this story too, it doesn’t stop. Shantanu Nath’s sensitive script unnerved me as an artiste. I’m indeed happy to have the uber-talented Rahul Banerjee back as my vulnerable protagonist, Vishwakarma, along with the talented popular actress Debleena Dutt as Mala, who has played his wife. Collaborating with accomplished, senior actors and old friends from the industry, for this challenging and tough outdoor project has been truly a memorable journey,” said Bappa.
