Director Pavel who is gearing up for the release of his upcoming Bengali film Rosogolla had laboured much to make this period film. The Kolkata Mail correspondent Priyanka Dutta caught up with the director in an exclusive chat days before the release of the film. Excerpts..

Tell us about your journey about making the film Rosogolla.

Pavel- This journey is basically a three year long process to make the film. Usually film makers take this time to make their first film but I took this time to make my second film. The best thing is that the audience is appreciating the hard work. Be it liking the trailer or the songs, they are on the same wavelength as I am. That is a huge boost to me. The kind of support that I am getting from the audience is great.

Since this is a period film, making it for the big screen poses a lot of problems. What problems did you face?

Pavel- Yes, there are a lot of problems that one has to face when you make a period film in modern times. From creating the look of the characters to making the sets seem like olden times-we had put in a lot of labor to get those look and feel right. In the shooting floor, no one was allowed to smoke or throw plastics here and there. If someone ate biscuits, they used to keep the plastic wrapper in their bag or pockets. One technician smoked a cigarette and then forgot to put it out. He kept the filter in his pocket. So you can see the level of effort we put so that no plastics or any other thing is present in the frame.

Why did you select Ujaan and Abantika for the role?

Pavel- When I saw Abantika in the sari for the audition, I understood that I had found Khirodmoni. I just had to make her lose some weight. As for Ujaan, I first thought that he was a star kid and wondered whether he will be a snob. But I realized that he was a humble and innocent young man. He is a great food lover too. The innocence of the lead cast is an important aspect of this film.

How was the shooting experience?

Pavel- We had shot the film at different locations. While we were shooting at a location, I was shouting loudly in the microphone and instructing a technician. This is what I usually do on the shooting floor. A shooting was going on in the other set. Someone came and requested me to keep my voice down. But after they saw what we were doing, they said that they will manage and asked us to continue our work. They also said that films like Rosogolla will be made once and hence gave us the space. It is these kinds of help that I have been getting which has been so very helpful for me.

This Christmas, Bengalis will be served Rosogolla instead of cake. What are your expectations?

Pavel- I have high expectations from the film. You will find a Bengali who may not have read Byomkesh or Kakababu. But you will not find a Bengali who has not consumed a single piece of Rosogolla. The trailer, songs have been well accepted and this has raised my expectations. If you dislike the film, let me know as I am open to criticism. But if you like the film please let the others know. When we were kids, Rosogolla eating competitions used to be conducted. So if you like the film, watch it one or two times and ask others to watch it too.

We wish Pavel all the best and hope his hard work pays off!!