The last day of shooting for Mahanagar took place on a street in the Alipur area of Calcutta. When we were done Manik-da said, “When do yo...
The last day of shooting for Mahanagar took place on a street in the Alipur area of Calcutta. When we were done Manik-da said, “When do you think we can work together again?”
The phone call came a few days later.
“Read Noshtonir.”
“I’ve read it.”
“Read it again. I’m sending you a copy.”
I used to live on Grey Street Extension in Hatibagan, which was where Manik-da sent me the book. I read it once more; then Manik-da sent for me to read the script to me. It didn’t, however, spell out the last scene. “How will the film end?” I asked. “I’ll tell you later,” he said.
But he didn’t. When we went directly to shoot the final scene, we performed the way Manik-da instructed us to. Shailen-babu held out his hand, and I held out mine. “There must be a small gap,” Manik-da said. “Your hands mustn’t touch.” That was how it was.
I didn’t understand then just what the director was trying to say. Afterwards, when the entire film was played for us in the projection room, complete with background music and dialogue, I understood the whole thing.
As with many films, so it was with Mahanagar – I no longer remember which scene we shot on the first day. I do...
