Welcome Break

When he mentions the phrase “psychological drama”,one is reminded of his 2005 film Nishijapon which dealt with the suppressed tension between an ageing patriarch and his sons,stranded in a house in the middle of nowhere. “ Nishijapon was a psychological drama too,but it was a film with a different mood. Hitlist is more contemporary and very urban,” says Ray.

Films like Nishijapon and Hitlist seem to be breaks from the Feluda movies for Sandip Ray,who will move on to the next Feluda venture early next year. “I love making Feluda films. There is no denying that fact. But that’s not the only kind of films I want to make. Fleuda films are primarily meant for children,and when you are making a children’s film you have to do be cautious about certain things,” says Ray.

Hitlist gives the director the oppurtunity to work with female cast members,that very fact,he claims,adds different dimension to filmmaking”. “Feluda stories were devoid of female characters. I missed having women in my films,they make the frames more complex. It will give some texture to the plot,” claims Ray.

Hitlist also gave Ray the happy opportunity of reuniting with Dhritiman Chaterji,an actor who debuted in his father’s film,Pratidwandi. “He is almost like family. It was wonderful to work with Dhritiman. Then of course there is Tinu Anand who has assisted us before in,” says Ray. Media speculations suggest that Hitlist is about a normal middleclass housewive’s entanglement with the world of crime after she is pursued by a photographer to be a model for a day,but Ray refuses to divulge any details. “I will not give away the plat on the eve of the release. Only a mad person will do that,” laughs Ray.

Shot in locations in Malaysia,Hitlist seems to be Sandip Ray’s most commercial project yet. “Hitlist is a very urban film,it required a young cast. So we roped in people like Saheb Chatterjee,Koel Mullick and Tota Roy Choudhury. This is the first time I have worked with such a young cast and I must admit that Koel and Saheb impressed me with their professionalism,” says Ray. Shooting in locations was a picnic of sorts for the Ray and Chaterji families. “My son was there and so was my wife,” smiles Ray.

As of now,Ray is waiting for the censor clearance. “We are hoping to get a U/A certificate,” says Ray. November 20 has been fixed as the tentative release date of Hitlist.