Exploring a new genre

What is the story about?
Laboratory is mainly about Sohini,a Sikh girl who falls in love and consequently marries a noted Bengali scientist,Nanda Kishore. The couple has a daughter,Neela. The scientist sets up a sophisticated laboratory equipped with the latest instruments. When he dies during one of his experiments,Sohini’s only desire is that her husband’s dream should be fulfilled in the laboratory. She is willing to pay any price for this,even if this means a relationship with another man or trying to get her daughter hitched on to a young scientist in the hope that he will continue to do research. But is he the right person? Can he make Neela happy? What happens to Sohini’s dream for the laboratory? These questions will be explored through the film.

Don’t you think that unlike other women that Tagore created,Sohini is negative and that is why he gave her a non-Bengali origin?
Laboratory was authored by Tagore in the last days of his literary life. Perhaps this is why his treatment of the characters in it does not match the rest of his work. He might have given Sohini a Punjabi origin because the feudal society of Bengal at that time might not have accepted Sohini as a Bengali. His idea was to show a beautiful woman,much younger than the husband,who has the courage and conviction to fulfill a promise made to herself. So,I do not agree that she is negative. I chose this story because I feel every human being must have a positive goal in life that serves some social purpose.

What made you choose Raveena Tandon to play Sohini?
I saw her performance in Shool and Satta. I felt she had the potential of expressing beauty,courage and power. Besides,she is a Punjabi and has fit the role like a glove. She has worked very hard. I will not have someone else dub for her. I sent her the script first in English,then the dialogue-script in English,thirdly,the Bengali dialogue phonetically transcribed in English. Finally,I had someone here speak the dialogue,recorded it and sent her the audio so that she could work on the enunciation,the accent and the right emphasis. I also feel that if she speaks slightly imperfect Bengali,Sohini will be that much more convincing.

Arpita Paul (Chatterjee) is playing her daughter Neela. Why?
Arpita is beautiful and is a very good actress. She is coming back after seven years. This gives the image of Neela an aura of freshness. I wanted to avoid a very familiar face or star that might have impinged on the character. Sabyasachi Chakraborty plays Sohini’s husband Nanda Kishore,Ranjit Mullick plays Sohini’s friend and companion and Shaheb Chatterjee is Rebati,the young scientist who Sohini feels,will be able to carry on with Nanda Kishore’s research in the laboratory. The film is being produced under the banner of Pitrashish Marketing Pvt. Limited. The music,that will have a couple of Tagore compositions and also some songs with a ‘period’ flavour,has been composed and conducted by Partho Sengupta. Tanmoy Chakraborty is art director. We hope to release the film before the Poojas this year.

You say Laboratory is a metaphor. Why?
That’s right. I believe that the laboratory in the title does not remain confined to the physical reality of the actual laboratory in the story. It is a metaphor that works between human relationships in different ways. Laboratory is more a concept than a concrete actuality. It is a symbol of the fluctuating chemistry that sustains between people. In this sense,it transcends the rigid narrowness that the title might suggest. I have not toyed with the original story at all. It is audacious even to think that. As filmmakers,we are very small compared to Tagore. So,who are we to interpret or toy with his original creations?