Acclaimed filmmaker Anik Dutta has described his latest cinematic offering, ‘Joto Kando Kolkatatei,’ as a dual tribute: an homage to the legendary Satyajit Ray, the creator of the beloved Feluda character, and a testament to original storytelling.
While the film’s title echoes Ray’s ‘Joto Kando Kathmandute,’ Dutta assures that the narrative is entirely his own. The story follows a young woman’s journey as she enlists a detective to uncover the truth about her biological family.
Dutta, known for directing ‘Bhooter Bhabishyat,’ explained his approach to the film’s stylistic influences: “In a way, yes. One can say it is a homage… However, my writing is something which adds the flavour of a Feluda story without being one itself, as I realised I won’t be able to direct a Feluda film itself,” he told PTI.
The director highlighted the pivotal role of Kolkata in the film, stating, “While the city becomes the backdrop as the incidents are happening in Kolkata, some places and edifices themselves turn out to be the character without whom the film would have been half-baked or incomplete.”
The movie features a notable cast including Abir Chatterjee, Quazi Nawshaba Ahmed, Roja Paromita Dey, and Dulal Lahiri, and has been met with enthusiastic reception, with several shows reportedly selling out.
Interestingly, Abir Chatterjee, who has previously collaborated with Dutta in ‘Meghnad Badh Rahasya,’ portrays a detective named Topshe, a character famously associated with Ray’s Feluda series. Dutta expressed his confidence in Chatterjee’s casting, noting his suitability and long-standing friendship with the actor.
Dutta emphasized that this film diverges from his previous works by intentionally avoiding satire. “There is no political satire or any other kind of satire,” he asserted. “Here, someone is searching for her true story and comes in contact with a sleuth to solve the mystery. As I already said, it is an original story having flavours of Feluda,” he maintained.
Despite releasing his film during the popular Durga Puja festival for the first time, Dutta remained unfazed by potential box office competition. He commented, “Two-three-four is just a number. There are people to look into the financial side of Bengali films. This is the first time my film is releasing during Durga Puja.” He also shared a lighthearted observation about his own viewing habits during the festival, noting, “I never saw films any time during any puja, but I have heard many people do watch.”
Reflecting on his health and future projects, Dutta, whose last film ‘Aparajito’ was a tribute to Ray’s ‘Pather Panchali,’ acknowledged that his physical condition might influence his directorial capacity. He mused, “There has to be something which I can direct single-handedly, but that does not appear to be feasible. I have two-three ideas. Maybe I can work primarily as a creative director, having someone else as executive director.”