Exclusive | Sohini Dasgupta opens up about life, work and Buddhadeb Dasgupta's legacy

Sohini Dasgupta made her directorial debut with the critically acclaimed, Hindi drama Chhoti Moti Batein, which starred Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Tannishtha Chatterjee and Ananya Chatterjee. She then worked on the documentary Drama Queens. 

The filmmaker, who was married to the late internationally acclaimed filmmaker Buddhadeb Dasgupta, is currently in the limelight because of her blockbuster web series Abar Proloy, helmed by Director Raj Chakraborty. Sohini worked as the Creative Director of the project, She also had  a cameo in the series, which is a huge genre shift for her. 

Filmmaker Sohini Dasgupta. Credit: Sohini Dasgupta

In an exclusive interview with Roktim Rajpal.com,  Sohini opens up about her new journey as a film professional after her twenty years experience as Creative Head of Buddhadeb Dasgupta Productions. She also talks about Buddhadeb Dasgupta’s impact on her life and career.

Edited excerpts from the interview:

You began your career nearly two decades ago and made your first feature film Chhoti Moti Batein in 2014. How has the journey been?

I joined Buddhadeb Dasgupta Productions very young, fresh from university. I joined as an assistant director and editor. Gradually I became Master Filmmaker Buddhadeb Dasgupta's co-writer and associate director. We were making films, documentaries, TV productions continuously. I made my first documentary film, I Couldn't Be Your Son, Mom; the first LGBTQ documentary in India in 2004. which got high acclaims.

I made my debut as director 9 years ago with Chhoti Moti Batin in 2014. By that time Buddhadeb and I were deeply in love with each other. We decided to get married after my debut film.  It has been a very happening and adventurous professional and personal journey, to which I shall be ever grateful. We had plans to make the production bigger but unfortunately, Buddhadeb fell severely ill in 2017, after making his masterpiece work Tope (The Bait). I was planning to start my next film at that time. That's how we had planned it out, we shall make films alternate years - one year Buddhadeb, next year me. But human plans can be so futile... 

With Buddhadeb's  illness a very challenging journey began. He had two consecutive heart attacks finally leading to renal failure. He had to start dialysis. It was as if we were living in 24×7 emergency situation yet never once Buddhadeb or me got detached from cinema, from poetry, and life. 

This phase taught me how to embrace your passion and love towards the art despite adversity. In fact that became our biggest shelter and strength. Also, personally, this life threatening situation intensified our bonding with each other, it seemed we loved each other more at this phase.

What was your biggest takeaway while working with Buddhadeb Dasgupta?

I really knew nothing about the industry when I joined his production house. I was someone who loved cinema madly and dreamt of making films. Like many, I too was a huge admirer of Buddhadeb Dasgupta and his school of cinema. He was my film school, my institution - I would say. He molded me out of a lump of soil.

Sohini Dasgupta with Buddhadeb Dasgupta. Credit: Sohini Dasgupta

I am immensely lucky to have the master of world cinema as my mentor. Amongst many things, he would always say 'never try to manipulate (the) image'. Cinema has to be honest, so honest that it connects with every audience. He would also say to etch out your own original image, your style of storytelling and not to compromise. Today, I have my individuality but he gave me my foundation. 

Coming to Chhoti Moti Batein, why did you decide to shoot it in Hindi and not Bengali, your mother tongue?

Frankly, there weren't many producers who were takers of new and out-of-the-boxand ideas, especially when the director is new. Taking on a bold or unconventional project is still a problem here as well as anywhere else. Yet, the kind of projects that are happening now in Hindi, Malayalam, Marathi are inspiring. However,  the film too had a wider spectrum - a more cosmopolitan premise.. Again my protagonists were loners who were becoming more lonely day by day despite living in a housing complex. There's a lack of integrity in the premise of my film, a sort of ‘otherising’ people from people, hence I made my protagonists Hindi speaking characters living in Kolkata.

How was the experience of presenting it to cinephiles at film festivals? 

It was a wonderful experience. I was nervous about how it would reach out to the audience. The film was  experimental in content and treatment. It had no heroes, no villains, no love affair or no murders (laughs).. yet I was thrilled to find the audience of various film festivals being tremendously moved. 

I don't know if it was good  or bad but it was impactful. That meant a lot. The film was about self isolation of two sisters after their father and their dog's death. It was inspired by a true story where two sisters had shut themselves up for a year in a Noida housing complex. They were discovered a year after in sorry state. In a couple of years after the film was made, a series of real incidents of self isolation started surfacing in Kolkata. I was interviewed about it and asked  how it feels when you see your film happening in real life. Again during covid lockdown, I was interviewed about it. I was asked the same question. It is interesting and inspiring to how the film stayed in people's mind and how they can connect to it even after years. 

How did Abar Proloy happen?

I was going through a very rough phase after Buddhadeb’s demise. I was devastated. I knew only work can save me but I was in no state to focus on my own writings and direction. I was serving as a jury member for the short film section in Kolkata Intl Film Festival and used to chat with famous filmmaker and friend Raj Chakraborty, who has been the festival chairman for quite some years now. 

Raj is a blockbuster director, his league of work is completely different from mine but when I showed interest, he readily roped me in, in his upcoming project a big OTT production for Zee 5.  So, I eventually served as the ‘Creative Director’ for Raj Chakraborty’s series Abar Proloy which is a big multi starrer hit today. This helped me hugely in many ways. It brought me back to work, it made me step out of my kind of work and my comfort zone - which is a big learning. Also, I understood myself better through this work.

Sohini Dasgupta served as the Creative Director on Abar Proloy. Credit: Sohini Dasgupta

Raj Chakraborty is one of the biggest commercial directors of Bengal. He is a wonderful human being, very helpful as well as a very driven and passionate film director, which was inspiring for me. Working on this project was like moving from one end of pole to another for  me. I am grateful to Raj for this exposure, for all the hardships, challenges and mostly because this work helped me become more mature, it helped me get back my focus on my own work. I have bounced back to my independent work.

Any plans to direct again? How do you plan to keep Buddhadeb Dasgupta’s legacy alive?

I am soon starting my next big corporate project for Serein Inc. headed by Ace mathematician Dr Ishani Roy. It is a global edu-tech company who are doing highly commendable work in the field of DEI. This is special because of its humanitarian foundation. After this, I shall soon be starting my independent projects as writer and director. I am also working as a writer in a big upcoming OTT series at this moment. As a professional I may take over as the Creative Director or Creative Producer in selective projects but it's time to start independent work.  

Sohini Dasgupta is the force behind the Buddhadeb Dasgupta Memorial Trust. Credit: PR Handout

There will also be a great deal of focus on the Buddhadeb Dasgupta Memorial Trust that I started in 2022. In fact there's so much to do. We have many plans and programs in our vision. It is a charitable trust that aims to work havoc in the field of art and culture be it films, poetry, painting, writing, theatre, music etc. We aim towards creating cultural equity for everyone. 

We have started the Buddhadeb Dasgupta Memorial Lecture and founded the Buddhadeb Dasgupta Film & Poetry Festival, a one of its kind festival in a global scenario. The first edition of the festival took place on June 9 and June 10 this year  in collaboration with Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute and Forum for Film Studies and Allied Arts. The 2nd edition is due in 2025.