Director Suman Maitra’s upcoming Bengali film Aami O Apu is a modern interpretation of Bibhutibhusan Bandopadhyay’s novel Pather Panchali. Aami O Apu is gearing for release soon and The Kolkata Mail correspondent caught up with the talented director in an exclusive telephonic conversation about the new film. Excerpts..

The film is finally releasing. How are you feeling at the moment?

Suman Maitra- After a really long fight, the film is releasing. The fight is a part of a filmmaker’s journey. It is also a part of life. This is my passion and profession. So I am excited and happy that the audience will get to see the hard work that we put in making this film. The film was slated for release by the end of 2019 or the beginning of 2020. However, the pandemic struck and our lives changed. Finally, the long wait is coming to an end.

Since this is a modern interpretation of Pather Pachali, and since Satyajit Ray has already made a film on the novel, how do you think the audiences will react to your interpretation?

Suman Maitra- Satyajit Ray is a legend and what he made is an inspiration for me. However, I have tried to make the film by understanding the novel from a new perspective. We all see the same sky but we experience different emotions. The same is the case with me. I have tried to interpret the novel in my own way. Some people will like it, some might not. Let the film release. I will get the answer.

You shot the film in black and white. How was the experience?

Suman Maitra- I had decided beforehand that I will be shooting the film in black and white. One has to understand that black and white contains the maximum colors. This was a tough thing to do in this digital age. I had to return to the basics to grasp the matter.

With modernization, getting a proper shooting location that can showcase the simplicity of Nischindipur is a problem. How did you overcome this problem?

Suman Maitra- We made a set but it was still a difficult job. The production design for the film was very difficult. We shot at real locations and also at different seasons too. The shooting of this film is in itself a journey.

Apart from a few professional actors like Ananda, Amrita, or Soumitra, the lead cast are non-actors. How was the experience of working with them?

Suman Maitra- I found Ishan Rana when I went to a friend’s house. I was already looking for someone suiting the role and he fits the bill perfectly. When I went to my sister’s house, I found Durga aka Prakriti Pujari. I conducted workshops with them because they have never faced the camera. However, the innocence that they have was reflected during the shoot. I hope that innocence will be loved by the audience.

What will you tell the audience just before the release of this much-awaited film?

Suman Maitra- Not a single frame has been copied from Ray’s Pather Panchali. There might be resemblances here and there. But that is simply an inspiration. There is no song in the film and there is an amazing background score that the audience will surely love and appreciate.

Wishing Suman Maitra and his team all the best for this soon-to-release film.