World of Professor Shonku richly detailed, his inventions tough to recreate: Director Sandip Ray

Filmmaker Sandip Ray is all set to get on with his next sci-fi film Professor Shonku O El Dorado, based on Satyajit Ray’s story Nakur Babu O El Dorado (1961). This will be the first film ever made on the iconic character of scientist and eccentric genius, Professor Shonku.

The film is from the bucket list of 25 films of SVF Stories. It will be shot in various locations in Bengal and Brazil and will reportedly be released later in this year.

Veteran actor Dhritiman Chatterjee will essay the character of the protagonist which has immense popularity among Bengali readers, much like Feluda. Legendary artiste Satyajit Ray created Professor Shonku inspired by Arthur Conan Doyle’s Professor Challenger and Hesoram Husiar, another unique character created by his father and author Sukumar Ray.

Professor Shonku is a polyglot who knows 69 languages. He graduated from college when he was merely 16 and started teaching when he was 20. He makes path breaking inventions in his laboratory with natural ingredients, but doesn’t share his formulae with the world outside lest they be exploited by the wrong hands.

“Professor Shonku is the most challenging project so far. Not only because of the special effects that would be required, but also because the world of Shonku is richly detailed, his inventions tough to recreate” said Sandip.

He also added, “Baba has made it extremely difficult for all of us by sketching each and every one of his characters. I cannot take any liberties with their physical appearances, neither is there creative licence for me to make Shonku behave or even speak any differently. It is a huge responsibility. Shonku has had his own fan clubs. There are readers who are well versed with all his inventions, his adventures.”

Sandip has reportedly invested a lot in developing the script and the cast of the film. The film will also feature Shonku’s companions — his domestic help Prahlad, his cat Newton and his neighbour Abinash Babu, who has little faith in his inventions.