The press conference of Suman Mukhopadhyay’s much-awaited film Putulnacher Itikotha took place recently.

The film is based on the novel of the same name by eminent novelist Manik Bandyopadhyay. It is one of his eminent works and is a humble protest against those people who toy with the lives of others as if they were puppets.

The director said, “I wanted to make a film on this novel for a long time. It was in 2007 that I thought of making this film. However, I faced many hurdles while making this film. I had the script ready, and the producer was there, but I did not get permission. Next, after many years, I got the permission, but there was no producer. In 2022, we finally got to make the film. The script had undergone quite a few changes over the years as well. It got a good response at international film festivals. We hope that the audience in Bengal will love it as well”.

Abir Chatterjee, Dhritiman Chatterjee, Shantilal Mukherjee, Jaya Ahsan, and Ananya Chatterjee are the cast of the film.

Abir Chatterjee plays Shashi in the film. He said, “The shoot of the film was completed a long time ago. But due to some reasons, the release got delayed. So, like the audience, we, the cast and crew, have also waited a long time for the film to be released. The film is important as it is based on Manik Bandyopadhyay’s novel. I have always believed that there are many stories in Bengali literature that must be portrayed in films. And this is one such story”.

Abir will again be seen opposite Jaya Ahsan in this film. The actor hoped that the audience would shower more love on the actors.

Jaya Ahsan plays Kusum in this film. She said, “This is a coveted role for most actors. So when I got the role, I was tense and excited as well. I asked the director how to portray this character, and will I would be able to do justice to it. Since this film is based on a popular novel, there are many people who might feel that the novel was better than the film. But writing a book and directing a film are two completely different things. And the medium is also different. So the treatment is also not the same. When I was dubbing for the film, I felt that the film was well made and the audience would like it”.

Dhritiman Chatterjee said that the novel has a great appeal even in today’s times. The writer wrote about issues that are topical even in today’s times. Hence, making a film based on such a novel is a great step indeed.

The film is slated for release on the 1^st of August.

Priyanka Dutta