With Pupa we have set a trend for realistic films: Director Indrasis Acharya at trailer launch

The trailer of filmmaker Indrasis Acharya’s upcoming film Pupa was launched by producer Rajiv Mehra, lead artistes Rahul Banerjee, Kamaleshwar Mukherjee and Pradip Mukherjee at Oxford Bookstore in Kolkata on 19 June.

Besides being selected to compete at the Kolkata International Film Festival 2017, the film, touted to be the first Bengali film on the subject of euthanasia, won a Special Mention at the Dadasaheb Phalke Film Festival and received awards in three categories — Best Director, Best Actor and Best Sound Designer — at the Aurangabad International Film Festival.  

Apart from Banerjee, Kamaleshwar and Pradip, the film also features Sudipta Chakraborty and Piyali Munshi in important roles.

“I met Indrasis first when he was making Bilu Rakkhosh (2017). I decided to make Pupa the moment I listened to the story. Addatimes got on with the project after finalising on the cast. I felt great when I watched the film after the final edit. I congratulate the entire cast and crew for making the film so nicely,” said producer Mehra.

Director Acharya too thanked the producer and his cast for their support. He said, “First of all, one requires a lot of courage to make such a film and Mehra has shown that courage by supporting the film. I feel grateful that my entire cast and crew could imbibe my cinematic language and exhibit that in their works. We often go for a lot of deviations from the primary storyline of a film to appeal the masses. I would like to specially mention that, in this film, since the beginning to the end, we have not made any such deviation.

"I think through this film, we have been able to set a trend for realistic films. I want more people to watch the film so that more filmmakers can be inspired to make these kinds of film and take our cinema to an international level.”

The protagonist of the film, Banerjee, shared how he got interested in Acharya's work. “Initially, I did not know Indrasish Da personally. Then he did a screening of his previous film Bilu Rakkhosh in Bijaygarh. The film shook me to the core and thus, I got introduced to the artist in Indrashis da. Honestly, I have not got many offers of such meaningful roles in my career so far. I think the character that I play in this film is really special," he said.

Banerjee also spoke about the intuitive connection director Acharya shared with the film's cinematographer Santanu Dey during the shoot. He also mentioned that music director Joy Sarkar has aptly made use of silence in the background score of the film.

The film revolves around Suvra (Banerjee) who is a research fellow in the US. He comes to Kolkata after his mother's death but before he returns, he needs to take care of his father who is in a comatose state.

Pradip, who plays the dying father, said that it was quite challenging for him to essay the role of a passive character in the film.

The trailer captures the various moments of the family that is entangled in an inescapable situation. The conflict between moving ahead in life and being bound by emotional attachments take centre-stage. The sombre music score too reflects the dilemma in the story. The continuous tussle between reality and aspiration in the trailer promises a film worth waiting for.

Pupa is scheduled to hit the screens on 20 July.

Watch the trailer below: