Reshmi Mitra is another addition to the glorious brigade of women directors from Bengal. A grounded person, who is involved in literature, theatre and television, she is a promising filmmaker in the new generation of directors of Bengali cinema.
She has no qualms in accepting the fact that she is yet to achieve the status which Manju Dey, Arundhuti Devi and Aparna Sen have. Yet no one can question her integrity and dedication towards work.
According to Reshmi Mitra, cinema should be educative, entertaining as well as capable of conveying socially relevant messages. Her latest directional venture, “Hatath Dekha” is a cinematic adaptation of a Tagore poem. An Indo-Bangladesh joint venture, it heralds the return of reputed actress Debasree Roy to the silver screen after a long gap.
Excerpts from an interview:
What prompted you to opt for “Hatath Dekha” as a film?
I've read the poem, ‘Hatath Dekha’ umpteen times and honestly, every time I've read it, I was left mesmerised. Since then the stunning visuals of the poem have started revolving in my mind. This was the time when Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar started the women education movement and this became an integral part in the poem, and thus of my film. Hence, I have portrayed entertainment and education both in my movie. ‘Hatath Dekha’ also has a message of women empowerment in the cover of a love story.
How did you manage to sign Debasree Roy?
Debasreedi doesn’t do movies on a regular basis these days. I know her for a long time, and we share a loving bond. We have done a lot of projects together. This is our first film together. There were a lot of movies that we decided we should do together, but then for various reasons, things didn’t work out. While shooting for the film, I felt that no other person would have suited the character better than Debasreedi. She is a powerful actress and has dedication and sincerity towards her work.
Please speak about your current involvement with theatre.
Tapan Theatre is our family production house. We do three theatre festivals yearly. Besides, there are regular shows. I’ve been planning to direct a drama, recently. It’ll probably be in the theatres by the middle of next year. Apart from this, there’s a plan about an audiovisual stage show with Rituparna Sengupta, about how Gautam Buddha changed the lives of three women.
How do you balance the author, dramatist and director in you?
I’m a workaholic; I get tired when I have no work to do. I manage and utilise my time well. Writing is my first love, and will always be so. My first story was published when I was in Class III. Till date, I’ve written eight books in Bengali. To express any feeling or idea, I believe writing is the best medium. My office is at Tapan Theatre itself. Most of my film plots are decided whilst I am at the theatre. Theatre is my strength; I guess I've seen most of the recent plays. Honestly, plays inspire me. The perfection of a play fascinates me. Cinema has now penetrated my mind. I’ll probably not survive if I don’t make movies.
Which is your next film?
My next movie is based on Moti Nandi’s novel, ‘Baranda’. It is about female psychology, a girl and her struggle since childhood. The lead protagonist will be essayed by Rituparna Sengupta. The rest of the cast will also be impressive. I do not believe in repeating themes for any of my films. I always share a warm working rapport with Rituparna Sengupta who is a seasoned actress and dancer.
