- Shantanu Bagchi’s first film as a child artist was Satyajit Ray’s Sonar Kella.
- Sidharth Malhotra-starrer Mission Majnu is ruling Netflix’s top 10 movies in India.
- Shantanu recalls his fond memories of Ray who sparked his interest in filmmaking.
Director Shantanu Bagchi of Mission Majnu is overjoyed that the Sidharth Malhotra-starring film is currently dominating the list of the top 10 movies on Netflix India. Despite what some people might believe, Satyajit Ray’s Sonar Kella was the award-winning commercial filmmaker’s first film while he was a young actor. Shantanu spoke with Hindustan Times about his recent experience with Mission Majnu and his warm memories of Ray, who ignited his love in filmmaking.
Even after Mission Majnu premiered on Netflix on January 20, many fans continued to express their desire for a theatrical release of the film on Twitter. “A lot of people say that, but in today’s day and age, the reach that Netflix can bring is simply fantastic,” Shantanu said as she explained their choice. For instance, despite the fact that I was aware that it had been released in 190 nations, I questioned if anyone besides Indians would watch it. I figured maybe someone in India would watch it, but I never imagined it would rank fifth or sixth in the top watch lists in the UK or Canada.
Many people likened the spy thriller to Alia Bhatt’s spy drama Raazi, which surprised the filmmaker given how well it was received. What is Shantanu’s opinion about it? He responded, “When the trailer was released, everyone was talking about the components of a spy thriller. First off, I’ve never known what it means to critique a trailer. A movie can be reviewed, but I haven’t yet addressed how to review a trailer. However, for individuals to observe and do so, there must be a good cause.
“You are, by looking at the trailer, commenting on a film, which you haven’t seen. Maybe you should wait, watch the film and then maybe you are in the right position to comment. But people are saying it’s the same thing—there’s spy who goes to Pakistan, but those are elements. When you watch the film, you will see it’s completely different. It’s based on a true story which actually happened. In this story the spy is an intelligent guy who is thinking laterally, he is not snooping on somebody and figuring it out. He is trying to find something and it’s an interesting story of a spy with a bright mind, adhering to a kind of realistic situation, rather than many other spy films that you have seen. They are glorified, almost like superheroes. Of course, there are some action sequences (in Mission Majnu) which are not as realistic but…I think they will add to the thrill. There are some people, even after watching it, who are saying you know it’s like Raazi. For them, I have no answer.”
Rashmika Mandanna’s voice is also lacking in the movie. When Shantanu was questioned about it, he explained why they chose dubbing. “During one of the Hindi sessions, Rashmika tried it, but it was a Pakistani accent with some Urdu nuqta” (the way of pronouncing and expressing the words). Due to the fact that she was born and raised speaking a particular language, those things weren’t happening. We used a skilled voice artist to dub the voice.
However, was Rashmika at ease? “No actor feels comfortable having their voice dubbed. That is unavoidable. However, we made an effort to closely mimic their speech inflection when dubbing the voice. About 10-15 voice actors were tried over the course of several rounds, Shantanu continued, focusing solely on pronunciations in an effort to discover the ideal fit.
Rashmika shot her first Hindi movie for Shantanu, but Vikas Bahl’s Goodbye won the title of her directorial debut. The filmmaker, though, is unconcerned about it. There are some things in life that are beyond of your control. You have no control over when a movie will be released, so I wouldn’t worry about it at all. I would be concerned about the actor’s portrayal in my movie. Because I knew she had done a fantastic job, I was in no way concerned. The audience will take action when they see something positive, which is what happened. I never bothered about the other movie or how people would respond to it.
Shantanu directed a number of well-known commercials before finding his way into movies. But was it a straightforward voyage, or were the stakes more higher than for a novice? “The risks are great if you try something new in your life. It applies to everyone. However, one must take the risk and approach it with candour, morality, and optimism. I think advertisements are a great training ground.
“You’ve reached a point when the format is significant, the danger is significant, and you need to tell a different tale. The true challenge is in how to adjust it to delight the audience. You have a very good possibility of failing because you have never tried it before. However, he advised from experience, “If one is informed, one can endeavour to reduce mistakes.
Shantanu became a fan of Satyajit after seeing his successful movie Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne from 1969. I saw Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne with my granddad, he said. I enquired about Satyajit Ray from him. Who is he portraying? My grandfather told me that even though he isn’t in the movie, everything that happens on the screen is due of him. The thought that there was a man for whom the entire movie was taking place but you couldn’t see him attracted me. Maybe that piqued my interest in movies and aroused my curiosity.
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