Nirmal Chakraborty’s first film Datta features Rituparna Sengupta in the lead role. Based on Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay’s classic novel, Datta also stars Joy Sengupta, Firdous Ahmed and Biswajeet Chakraborty.
A close associate of Sengupta, director Chakraborty worked as a freelance journalist for 20 years and was harbouring a wish to become filmmaker for long. He finally decided on a classic story rather than writing a script on his own.
“I thought it would work as an advantage for me, if I picked an existing story, rather writing one on my own and that’s why I chose Datta," the director explained to ETV Bharat in an interview.
Chakraborty has retained the period of the story, without placing it on the present context. He feels the present generation is hardly acquainted with the rich Bengali literature and hence, he took the decision.
The novel comples a centenary this year. Chakraborty has designed the costumes and the props, keeping in mind the particular period. He feels that it is beyond his abilities to place the story in the present context. The director reportedly researched for seven to eight months before he started shooting the film this April.
Datta has already been adapted into two Bengali films in 1951 and 1976. The director said, “There is no scope for comparison between these films because I am not following the films, but the novel.”
The release date of the film has not been announced as yet.