(A dreadfully edited version came out in DNA, which you can find here)
To be the first writer that Aparna Sen has ever collaborated with in her career is an achievement that newcomer Ranjan Ghosh best acknowledges by talking about it with an enthusiasm atypical of his otherwise stoic disposition. Ghosh was script assistant and assistant director on the National Award winning Bengali film Antaheen. The 28-year-old Ghosh wrote the script of Iti Mrinalini with Sen as part of his final project while still a screenwriting student at Whistling Woods International. Directed by Aparna Sen, the Bengali film tells the story of an ageing suicidal actress (played by the director herself) who digs through remnants of her past which remind her of her younger self (played by daughter Konkona Sen). The movie will be dubbed in Hindi for a national audience and is slated for release on June 15.
From watching films as a child in a satellite township in West Bengal to a six-year stint in the Merchant Navy where he rose to the post of Captain, the quietly confident Ghosh has chartered his life’s course with single-minded resolve, his final destination aimed at making his own films. The aspiring director is currently writing the script for the Bengali remake of Prakash Jha’s Gangajal as well as developing an idea with Ketan Mehta.
How did you end up bagging a project with Aparna Sen while still studying at the film institute?
During my summer break at Whistling Woods International, I got in touch with faculty member Shyamal Sengupta and insisted that I work as his script assistant for his ongoing project. That film turned out to be Antaheen. It was on sets that I met Aparna Sen and one day, went up to her and told her I wanted to write for her. Now she is a magnanimous lady and also a diva. She basically brushed me off saying I should contact her after six months. In January 2008, I went to meet her in Kolkatta. We ended up talking for hours. I began working on a Hindi film idea that she told me Konkona had suggested and sent her my drafts. Two months into it, Aparna Sen gave me the basic storyline of Iti Mrinalini and asked me to begin work on that instead.
What was it like working with Aparna Sen?
It was intimidating initially but she would be really nice to me. She would ask me sweetly, are you enjoying working with me? Are you sure I’m not breathing down your neck? (smiles) She’s a meticulous lady and a pure artist. The only problem she had with me was that she thought I was very aggressive and a bit of a control freak. At times she would firmly say, just let go Ranjan. But she also respects a writer’s space. She let me work on the first draft completely by myself, although she used to ask what I was working on and give her suggestions. She then worked on the second draft and for the third draft, we worked together. After that, I assisted her on the shoot as well and she always welcomed my involvement at every step. I’m very grateful that she allowed me such an opportunity.
Iti Mrinalini explores the complexities of a woman’s mind as she looks back at her life. Was it difficult for you to write a woman’s character in such depth?
I’ve always been very close to my mother and sister, so I think I have somewhat of an idea of the female psyche. And anyway, we’re all half-male, half-female. If I’m a man, does that mean I can only write male characters? That would be so boring. So as a writer, you have to imagine. Personally, I don’t do a lot of research; I like it to come to me instinctually. I was also observing Aparna as well as Konkona during my interactions with them, and that helped me shape the character as well.
Do you feel fortunate to have achieved so much so soon in your career? Do you attribute it to luck or talent?
I would say it’s a combination of hard work and luck, with adequate amount of talent being assumed. You have to be talented but that’s not all it takes. It’s more about grit, not taking things lying down. With no hard work, there’s no luck. But with hard work, luck can be an advantage.
31/5/2010, DNA
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