Padatik is a film that pays homage to the renowned director Mrinal Sen. The film is directed by Srijit Mukherji.

It follows Mrinal Sen’s journey from a struggling political idealist to a trailblazing filmmaker in 1950s Calcutta.

The film coincides with the celebrations of his centenary.

The teaser launch of the film was organized on the birthday of Mrinal Sen. It was graced by the director and cast of the film.

“Kunal Sen’s book Bondhu and Shiladitya Sen’s book Mrinal Sener Film Jatra are two books that have helped me in shaping the screenplay of the film. Shiladitya Sen and Sanjay Mukhopadhyay have helped us a lot in the research for this film. Without their presence at the teaser launch, the event would not have been complete” said Srijit Mukherji.

Chanchal Chowdhury plays Sen in the movie, while the role of his wife, Gita Sen is played by Monami Ghosh.

Chanchal Chowdhury said “When I was shooting the film, I was under much stress as my father passed away that time. It was challenging at that time. This is the first time that I saw how I have portrayed such a legendary director. I am quite pleased. Now I have to wait to get the reaction of the audience”.

The actor added “When Srijit Mukherji approached me for the role, I thought he was joking with me. But when I found he was adamant, I wondered whether I had the merit and capacity to portray such a role. He helped me a lot during the preparation. He supplied me with books on the director, video clips, and other materials. That was a huge help”.

Monami Ghosh said “Most of us are unaware of the bond between Gita Sen and Mrinal Sen. The director has tried to highlight that bond in the film. How she was his pillar of support has been shown in the film. Playing this character was not very challenging as she was a simple person. She was an actress and also a housewife just like many of us. It was a great experience”.

When asked to share her working experiences with Chanchal Chowdhury, the actress said “We are both simple people and there is nothing complicated in our personalities. Hence working with one another was such a good experience”.

Mamata Shankar has acted in many of Mrinal Sen’s films like Mrigayaa, Ek Din Pratidin, Kharij and others. The actress is also an integral part of Mukherji’s film Padatik.

Speaking about her association with Mrinal Sen, the actress said “I was amazed by the way he used to change himself. When he was shooting a scene, he was so engrossed. It was as if he would go inside the camera if possible. But once the shoot was over, he was another person. He liked to gossip and he would ask others on the set about the latest gossip”.

The film is slated for release soon.

Priyanka Dutta