But the movie does seem to be a departure from your usual. For instance, for the first time, the protagonist is a man…
As a filmmaker, I want to attempt different genres of filmmaking. My last two films, Antarmahal and Doshar, were serious and rather dark. Thus, I wanted to make something simple. Khela seemed to be the perfect answer to that. The film demands Prasenjit’s character. Unlike many of my other movies where he has played the male lead, here he is the hero. There is an element of wish-fulfillment in the movie, which he conveys very creditably. It’s a man-child bond that grows over the period of shooting a movie. A male lead was inevitable and so was my choice. Besides, he is the only male actor who has successfully erased my reputation of making women-centric films by winning the National Award for Doshar.(laughs) 

Was it difficult to move away from your forte and attempt something new?
It was a very different exercise. Usually, I bring the subject in my own fold and work my way through it. This film demanded that I change with it. It’s a funny, adventurous story that required a warm and colourful ambience. So my usual techniques had to merge with the mood. For the first time, I have shot outdoors extensively in north Bengal. There are songs in the movie, another aberration in my films, though I did have music in Raincoat. It’s a very interactive film. In fact, I would say this film has greater mutual transaction between me as a director and my actors instead of my telling them how to go about things. 

... contd.