Working with Madhabi Mukherjee will remain one of my most precious experiences: Director Promita Bhowmik

In Promita Bhowmik’s upcoming short film Probaho, veteran actress Madhabi Mukherjee will be seen as a lady in her late seventies who looks forward with hope to the future after surviving three waves of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mukherjee, star of classic films such as Mahanagar (1963) and Charulata (1964), has finished shooting for Probaho and the short film is currently in the post-production stage.

Speaking of the plot, Bhowmik said, “The solo-actor film tells the story of a lonely elderly lady who has lost her near and dear ones in the three waves of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, despite the losses, she is determined to pick herself up and live life with a new zeal.”

According to the writer-director, the film aims at spreading positivity and speaks of hope in the midst of the depressing and anxiety-ridden environment around. “Since people of this character’s age have suffered the most due to the pandemic and the lockdown, I wanted to make the film on rediscovering life from her perspective.” added the maker of short film Porichoy (2021).

Bhowmik, who had earlier made the short film Porichoy (2021), wrote the script for Probaho with Mukherjee in mind, but she was unsure if the screen legend would agree to work with her.

“She had not worked with anyone since the pandemic hit, and being a complete newcomer, I was anxious about how to approach her,” said the poet-turned-filmmaker.

Madhabi Mukherjee explains why Charulata is a crown, not a burden

When Bhowmik did contact Mukherjee, the veteran asked for a narration of the script to be sure whether she had something to contribute to the film. “She agreed to do the film as soon as she heard the script," the filmmaker said. "She said the positive approach of the film appealed to her the most. She could relate to the script a lot and liked the fact that I was not talking only about losses.”

Bhowmik and Mukherjee met a few times thereafter and discussed the project before the shooting began. “She was extremely cooperative," said the director. "Despite being such a senior artiste, she waited for my feedback. I would often feel embarrassed and leave it all to her after explaining the scenes. However, she always gave me the respect due to a director. Working with her will remain one of the most precious experiences of my career.”

The film has been shot by Supratim Bhol while Sankhajit Biswas is editing it. Anindit Roy is in charge of sound design and mixing.

Correction, 16 March 2022: An earlier version of the report stated that Anindit Roy was in charge of creating the background score for the movie.