PAST LIVES

SUBHRAJIT MITRA tells SRIJANI ROY CHOWDHURY about his love for history

- SRIJANI ROY CHOWDHURY

Subhrajit Mitra fell in love with filmmaking not through fancy film schools but while skipping SAT prep and diving into books on cinema at libraries in Kolkata. It all started when he watched E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial with his father, The movie bug bit him hard. At just 18, while most teens were still figuring out what to do with their lives, he was directing documentaries for Doordarshan. Coming from a middle-class family, chasing a dream in films wasn't exactly encouraged. Even a National Award didn't fully convince his parents of his calibre. But that didn't stop him. Subhrajit is a true history buff, someone who can get just as excited about an 18th-century rebellion as he does about the right camera lens. From continuing the legendary Apu Trilogy with Avijatrik to now telling the story of India's first woman freedom fighter in Devi Chowdhurani, he's about mixing history with strong storytelling and doing it his way. Excerpts from an engaging interview:

WHAT DREW YOU TO DEVI CHOWDHURANI'S STORY?

After winning the National Award for Avijatrik, I was offered a historical film on the Battle of Plassey. While researching, I stumbled upon the Sannyasi-Fakir Rebellion (1770-1780), a prolonged resistance in Bengal during Warren Hastings' time. This era also saw the devastating Bengal Famine of 1770. Bankimchandra Chattopadhyay's Anandamath and Devi Chaudhurani are set in this context. As I delved deeper, through original texts and East India Company archives, I realised Devi Chowdhurani and her mentor Bhavani Pathak were real people who led this rebellion. She was India's first woman freedom fighter. My film is a tribute to such forgotten heroes, blending 30-40 per cent of the novel with historical research.

WHY DID YOU CAST PROSENJIT CHATTERJEE AND SRABANTI CHATTERJEE AS THE LEADS?