Contrary to what most think, I have been singing and acting and not just directing. I am not what you call prolific. I take my time, because filling in is as important as giving out. I have come out with a new album called Unsoshaat produced by myself, which is only available in my live concert or can be bought through this page. You can 9038541307 Ushnak Basu for a copy. He will have it delivered. I do perform often live. How else do I earn my daily bread? But have always and still am choosy about venues, campuses. Nowadays organisations do not sell tickets for concerts, so many of you dont get to know. For instance there is one on the 8th of Feb at Nazrul Manch. Contrary to what is said, I have always acted in very few films. Acting is a profession I deeply respect and do not take up projects which I do not believe in. I am often mistaken to be snooty and misquoted in papers as a cynic who doesnt like others work. I am very particular about the scripts and roles I choose. Because I prepare for them for months. Be it being a village wearer in Shilpi or a psychiatrist in Chitrangada. Am still trying to loose the belly I grew for Dutta Vs Dutta. It was easy slimming down for Ranjana since I was still in my 50s. I somehow managed to physically slog it for Pratim Das Guptas film. Acting is the most PUREST of work to me, as declared by Andrei Tarkovsky. I simply cannot act regularly in all kinds of relevant films and dishonour the craft. That is why I chose to balance it off with singing since the 90s. I don not direct more than 1 film a year in restricted budget, simply because I try to give my best. They may disasters at the box office or successes, but if you care to look back at them on DVDs after years, you will know what I am talking about. I make no bones about being a box office failure if my films flop. I admit them openly in press. Because I cant fool you and try to project myself wrongly. Yet a flop film like Dutta Vs Dutta will make difference to most of you who see it later on DVD. What I try to do is not make a CLEVER film. Cinema is the most dynamic of all art forms and here trying to be honest and good taste is highly important. If I deviate into bad taste as I did with Ganesh Talkies, I have to immediately accept it and correct it. Its almost 10 years since Bow Barracks or Bong Connection, but I still watch them on DVD and feel proud that I managed to break new grounds yet hold on to the legacy and history of meaningful cinema. I will never be a Kieselowsky or Innarittu even Anant Gandhi, I learn from them. I still believe script is king. I still practice theatre, whether you see it or not. Its important to return to stage for sheer energy and introspection... I go out of my way to celebrate younger talents be it Tasher Desh or Open T Bioscope. I decry agenda driven, clever films which may be huge successes, despite becoming unpopular in my industry. I live with my private politics. Not political agenda. I cannot admire folks who switch political stance to survive in the market. I cannot support their work. But we have to live with all kinds and I do. And I still have a lot of faith in the audience and not page 3 comments....
Posted on: Sat, 24 Jan 2015 06:45:27 +0000