Bengali super star Prosenjit Chatterjee says he prepared extensively for his role in the new film adaptation of legendary writer Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay’s eponymous novel "Devi Chaudhurani".
Titled "Devi Chowdhurani: Bandit Queen of Bengal", the Bengali-language magnum opus is directed by Subhrajit Mitra of "Chorabali" and "Avijatrik" fame.
The "Jubilee" actor is playing the pivotal role of Bhavani Pathak in the period film, which stars Srabanti Chatterjee in the titular role.
He said he underwent extensive training to prepare for the role that was previously played by Basanta Choudhury in the 1974 film adaptation.
"I prepared for the role for over one year and perfected stick fighting, sword fighting apart from other martial arts... There is no known available photo or image of Bhabani Pathak. Only some imaginary sketches accompanying the published novel, the posters of previous films on the historic novel and the accompanying myth.
"According to some accounts, Bhavani Pathak was six feet tall, and had red eyes. But there is no documentary evidence. We went by our own interpretation of his character, according to our perception,” the actor said.
Asked about the comparison that may be drawn between his performance and Basanta Choudhary's take, Prosenjit Chatterjee said, "I did not go by any baggage."
"Devi Chaudhurani" was published in 1884 and narrated the story of Devi Chaudhurani, formerly known as Prafulla, who ruled over the Manthana Estate in the Rangpur district (now in Bangladesh).
After her husband left her, she found refuge in the home of Bhavani Pathak, the leader of a group of dacoits and a prominent figure in the Sanyasi Movement in Rangpur. She later joined the gang and established herself as the formidable queen of the Baikunthapur bandits.
Srabanti Chatterjee said director Mitra did extensive research for the project.
"I won't talk much about the shooting experience but I must say we adhered to every minute details to perfect the shots and recreate that era," she added.
Producer Aparna Dasgupta said the project is mounted on a big scale, something that never been seen before in Bengali cinema.
"It has been a challenge but even if we achieve 40-50 per cent of the objective, that will not be unsatisfying. We are not sure if anything on the scale had been attempted in Bengali cinema. There had been such attempts in southern films with period feel," she said.
Principally made in Bengali, "Devi Chowdhurani: Bandit Queen of Bengal" will also be dubbed in six other languages including Hindi. The film also stars Sabyasachi Chakrabarty and Arjun Chakrabarty in pivotal roles.
