NEW DELHI, Dec 18:
Actor-turned-director Samir Soni is currently busy shooting his directorial debut ‘My Birthday Song’ in the capital with actor Sanjay Suri in the lead role.
The crew of the film, co-produced by Soni and Suri under the latter’s Kahwa banner, shot some scenes in south Delhi and Defence Colony market last night.
“We have been shooting for the last seven days in Delhi, Gurgaon, Noida and we shot some scene here at the market (Defence Colony). The landscape of NCR matches with the surrealistic tone that we were looking for,” Soni told PTI.
The director, 44, believes the audience is ready to appreciate such material.
“The film revolves around a happily-married man and the song on his 40th birthday, but the movie navigates the space between real and surrealism. We both are trying to push the envelope as much as we can,” said Soni, who wrote some 13 drafts of the story before finalising the script.
Soni wants to release the film sometime next year.
Suri, 43, who plays an ad filmmaker in the film, said, “This is a completely different kind of genre that I have worked on, either as an actor or as producer… The film is in Hinglish and spans about 90 minutes.”
On the cast, Suri said, “Canadian-Moroccan actress Nora Fatehi will star opposite me and Miss India Australia Zenia Starr is also a part of the project.”
Fatehi made her Bollywood debut with the recently released film ‘Roar: Tigers of the Sunderbans’.
Islam said the fight for liberation of Bangladesh itself is the greatest symbol of secularism and communal amity as Bengalis cutting across religious affiliations were equal victims of Pakistani army’s atrocities and fought against it in unison. Anil Bagchi’s story is just one of the many examples of that.
Replying to a question, the director said there were several real-life instances of Muslims either saving or attempting to protect the Hindus from marauding Pakistani troops during the liberation war.
Islam, who has directed critically-acclaimed feature films like “Dukhai”, “Durotto”, “Khelaghar”, “Aamar Bandhu Rashed” and “Dipu Number 2”, said the story of Anil Bagchi needs to be told to the young generation of Bangladeshis at a time when fundamentalism is rearing its head not only in Bangladesh but also in many parts of South Asia.
This is the third feature film Islam has made based on the work of Humayun Ahmed after “Durotto” (2004) and “Priyotomeshu” (2009).
Produced under the banner of Bengal Creations Limited of Abul Khair, “Anil Bagchir Ek Din” features Aref Syed, Gazi Rakayet, Toufique Emon Jyotika Jyoti and Farhana Mithu in lead roles.
The cinematography is by L Apu Rozario, editing by Ratan Paul and music is composed by Sunny Jubaer to two original songs penned by Chief Assistant Director Pantho Prosad. Islam has also used a part of Rabindranath Tagore’s famous song “Aaj Jyotsna Raatey Sabai Gechey Boney…” (PTI)
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