Kolkata: Director Suman Mukhopadhyay says his film "Sesher Kobita", starring Rahul Bose and Konkona Sen Sharma, will finally hit theatres since its premier in Dubai International Film Festival in 2013.
"I had been moving the Ministry of Culture for release but the ministry has no infrastructure to release a film and there's a lot of red tapism.
"I had initially wanted to release the film on Tagore's birth anniversary but later the date was revised to his death anniversary," the national-award winning director told PTI after the trailer launch of the film here.
"Now after all these, it is a litmus test for me for how it connects with the audience," Suman, an acclaimed cerebral playwright, said.
"Sesher Kabita", which also starred "Detective Byomkesh Bakshy" actor Swastika Mukherjee, is a part of Tagore commemoration programme of the Centre which came up in 2010.
"It will be a departure from my previous genre of films where I had featured the marginalised. Here it's a different story," he said pointing out his films from Herbert, Kangal Malsat to Mahanagar@Kolkata all had been in some way or other been gritty tales of the underprivileged unlike the Tagorean lyrical drama.
About the look and feel of "Sesher Kobita", Suman says the film has been mostly shot in the green mountains of Shillong to retain the lyrical ambiance.
"I had captured the scenes on long shot mostly, including the conversations, instead of close indoor shots as I have dwelt on the effect of nature on human mind holidaying in the lap of nature, away from the frenzy of urban life.
Pointing out in "Sesher Kobita", Rabindranath Tagore has subtly shown the insides of a human heart, Suman says the film as well as the original novel discusses about the perception of love.
"And I think the casting was perfect. None but Konkona could portray the vulnerability and the intellectualism of Labonyo, her apparent aloofness, and none but Rahul Bose could be my Amit, the dapper Bengali with soft, sensitive eyes, And Swastika personified Ketty (a.K.A Ketaki), her care-free nature and simplicity, to her Amit goes back at the end of the film".
Director Aparna Sen, Suman's family friend, said "I liked the way he etched out the characters and all the cast including Rahul and Swastika perfected their assigned roles. Suman is right, Rahul epitomises Amit Roy."
"I also liked the way the lush green beauty of north-east hill side has been captured in this film," she says. Soumitra Chatterjee was also present at the trailer launch and said all the factors indicated it was going to be a film retaining the features of the Tagorean work.
