Onan Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury set, there is none of the chaos and constant flurry that one invariably gets to see on other film shoots. Everything — and everyone — works quietly, getting their work done with almost clockwork precision. And yet, nothing is mechanical. The crew looks relaxed, the cast exchange easy banter between takes and Roy Chowdhury himself, despite the huge pressure of getting every minute detail right, is as focused on whether the cup of tea being carried in the shot is hot as he is in making sure that I have the “special” cup of black coffee that he is sipping on.

It’s a relatively early (winter makes even 10am seem early) morning when I find myself in an old-world address in a quiet alley of Jhowtala Road, just behind Quest Mall, where Roy Chowdhury — better known as Tony — is shooting his third Hindi film. The cast of the yet untitled film — this is Tony’s first film where the title has not yet been decided — is eclectic, and is enough to elicit intrigue, even though the story is being kept under wraps.

Drawn from life, honest and true

As I sit with Tonyda and his trusted collaborator and director of photography, Avik Mukopadhyay, and watch the monitor in a makeshift canopy at the back, Pankaj Tripathi looms into view. Dressed in a simple beige kurta-pyjama ensemble, Tripathi’s character watches Jaya Ahsan ‘planting’ a sapling, as a fresh-faced Sanjana Sanghi walks into the frame, holding a cup of tea for Tripathi, who plays her father in the film. Even as Jaya — arresting in a crisp cotton sari — animatedly goes about her job, the other two actors observe her, with Sanjana resting her head on Pankaj’s shoulder, as the two exchange a smile. Also in the frame are actors Paresh Pahuja and Varun Buddhadev. This, I am told, is the final scene of the film.

Both Tonyda and Mukopadhyay seem happy with what plays out, but ask for a few more takes. “The camera absolutely loves Jaya. She lights up the frame!” Tonyda tells me, a satisfied smile playing at the corners of his lips.

It’s an interesting — even envious cast — all right, with the talented Parvathy Thiruvothu —(who many will remember as Irrfan’s co-star in Qarib Qarib Singlle, while true film buffs will be acquainted with her vast body of work even beyond that) — also being a part of the film.

“I take the stories of most of my films from incidents in my life, prompting many of my friends to tell me that I am 900 years old!” laughs Tonyda when I ask him the origin of this story that he describes as an emotional film with an investigative drama at its core. Tony’s previous Hindi film Lost — that will premiere on Zee5 in early 2023 — was also shot in Calcutta, and is frontlined by Yami Gautam Dhar.

“In today’s world, one needs to make an honest film. If the audience doesn’t see honesty of intent and execution in your film, they will not watch it,” says Tonyda, a National Award winner, whose debut Hindi film Pink created waves and continues to be one of the most important films coming out of Bollywood in recent times.

“I wanted to do something which is fresh, and this film gives me that opportunity. Experiment is life. This is a story which is relatable,” smiles Tonyda, who has already shot parts of the film in Mumbai.

Director Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury (right) with longtime collaborator and director of photography Avik Mukhopadhyay

“I have shot in Calcutta before, as recently as my film Lakadbaggha that releases on January 13. I had heard about the experience of shooting with Tonyda from Angad Bedi, who had acted in Pink, and I was very keen on working with him. When this project came to me, I jumped at it. It’s been a truly rewarding experience so far,” PARESH PAHUJA, who has films like Tiger Zinda Hai, Jogi and Doctor G to his credit, told TT at the shoot.

‘Kolkata is home’

‘Thehraav’ is a state of being that one invariably (and often, stereotypically) associates with Pankaj Tripathi, both in terms of his quiet but searing screen presence and his calm off-screen persona. And ‘thehraav’ is how Tripathi chooses to describe his experience of shooting this film when I catch up with the actor between takes.

“This is a very, very different and intelligent script. In the last five years, I haven’t read a script as brilliant as this,” Tripathi tells me. This is high praise, given that the man who has crafted a dream journey from Belsand in Bihar to the top echelons of Bollywood, has been inundated with some of the best-written scripts in the last few years. “Bahut badhiya script hain, bahut unique... mehnat kiya gaya hain,” adds Tripathi.

What has also lured Tripathi to this particular project is the experience of working with Tonyda. “Tonyda ke saath mein kaam karne ka alag mazaa hain,” he says, a fact that’s echoed by all his co-stars.

Tripathi, who is a lover of all things Bengali, is on a spree, working with directors with a Bengal connect back-to-back. His last release Sherdil was directed by Srijit Mukherji, and after Tonyda’s film, he moves on to Metro... In Dino with Anurag Basu. “Ab Kaushik Ganguly bachey hain mere list mein,” he beams. Tripathi’s plans in Kolkata — which he describes as ‘home’ — include a visit to Park Street to see the festive lights.

A cheery Jaya Ahsan poses for t2 between takes

Dream project

This is Jaya Ahsan’s debut Hindi film and the actor couldn’t be happier that it’s happening in a film like this. “The script, the setting, the cast, the experience... everything is living up to what I had imagined it would be. I couldn’t be happier,” Jaya tells me, in between sips of tea.

Ditto for Sanjana Sanghi, who made her debut as a leading lady with Dil Bechara more than two years ago. Since then, Sanjana, 26, has mixed things up, balancing a commercial action film like Rashtra Kavach Om with a girl-power film called Dhak Dhak, co-starring Ratna Pathak Shah, Dia Mirza and Fatima Sana Shaikh, that is awaiting release. “Tonyda’s film is a dream come true for me. It’s such a beautiful, honest and straight-from-the-heart script. It means everything to me and I am so glad he thought of me for this film,” Sanjana tells me.

Eat, shoot, eat

Being part of an Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury film comes with a lot of perks, including a sumptuous spread, given how big a foodie the film-maker is. While Pankaj Tripathi waxed eloquent about the “heavenly” aloo posto he’s being treated to, Sanjana good-naturedly complained about the difficulty of shooting with a full stomach of rice and mutton. “But I am loving it! I have told Tonyda that he may have a slightly plumper actress at the end of the shoot,” laughed Sanjana.

Pictures: Pabitra Das