Rituparno Ghosh has broken out of his mould with his first light-hearted film. No, it doesn’t have a woman in the lead. The director on his films and Bollywood connections

Tell us about your latest film, Khela.
It’s about a film-maker, played by Prasenjit Chatterjee, and a child, played by newcomer Akashneel Datta Mukherjee, and the bond that forms between them over the shooting of a film. At one level, it’s a thriller and at another, it’s an adventure that takes both characters on a journey of self-discovery. It’s not very heavy or intense, free of psychological complexities unlike my other films. It’s a celebration of innocence in its abundance.  

You had announced the film long back. What took it so long to be made?
Initially, Pritish Nandy Communication was producing it. But after we started, we both realised that PNC didn’t have the infrastructure to release a regional film, which is when we decided to part. It was not a bitter parting as rumours hint. Rather, we decided amicably that it was in the best interest of the film. I want to emphasise this, once and for all, that they were very supportive and helpful.  

But Khela is bi-lingual, isn’t it?
Well, yes, but that happened later, almost as an after-thought. When Saregama stepped in as producers, they wanted a Hindi version. I was too wrapped up with the Bengali version, which had just been completed. We started the Hindi dubbing after we finished with the Bengali one. The film is largely about Bengali sentiments and a Bengali ethos, so I would not want to creatively judge the Hindi edition.  

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