Parineeta: It was a big challenge to recreate the unseen world of 1905, says director Aditi Roy

Q. What inspired you to work on Parineeta?

A. I love to make period dramas and narrate stories of earlier ages. I have an affinity towards history. I was casually interacting with Shrikant-da (Shrikant Mohta, SVF co-founder) on 'Best of Bengal's segment from Hoichoi. I suggested to him Parineeta, which has, however, been made in different languages. I felt the audience would be interested to watch a web series based on Parineeta for its content. Shekhar and Lalita have always been my favourite characters.

Apart from that, Parineeta tells a story which is relevant in all eras. So I was confident that it would appeal to the audience even if we make a period drama.

Image by Avishek Mitra/IBNS

Q. Have you ever thought that your work would draw comparison?

A. Honestly, no. Otherwise, I wouldn't have been interested in working on Parineeta. I read Parineeta when I was in school and watched almost all adaptations in films. As a team, we kept it true to the text. We made the adaptation because we wanted to tell this story.

Q. Do you draw any similarity between Lalita and the female characters you have sketched in recent times?

A. All my female characters have distinct shades irrespective of whether they are rebels or not. I have also sketched female characters who haven't been revolting. Yes, Raka Sen in Bodhon is very fierce and revolting. Lalita in Parineeta chose to struggle in her life instead of taking the easy way out. So in that respect, she seems an independent character who makes her own decisions. Irrespective of their own unique circumstances, Lalita has a similarity with my female characters in terms of their independent minds. Otherwise, all of them are distinct.

Q. How did you arrive at selecting Gaurav and Debchandrima for Shekhar and Lalita respectively?

A. I was sure of roping in Gaurav because he is the kind of Bengali person which the text demands. Shekhar's character is a blend of modernism and tradition. I couldn't have imagined anyone other than Gaurav for such a role, which is a reflection of a complete Bengali gentleman. I didn't have a second thought on that.

Photo courtesy: Hoichoi

Debchandrima too was my first choice for Lalita. But, I was not sure of her because I hadn't seen her playing a similar role. It is to be mentioned that she belongs to the current generation so it would be inappropriate for us to expect her to know the previous eras in entirety. Debchandrima made her efforts and went through a rigorous process and workshops to emerge as Lalita. All my doubts over Debchandrima's casting were naturally eliminated once I saw her as Lalita for the first time on the shooting floor.

Q. When could you judge that the chemistry between the two actors was striking?

A. During the script-reading sessions, Debchandrima used to tell me that she was not fond of her way of speaking. I was sure of Debchandrima emerging as Lalita the moment she started loving the way she was delivering her dialogues. I knew that Debchandrima would transform herself into Lalita the day she would start enjoying it. As a filmmaker, I think I have had the farsightedness to judge them as a good onscreen couple when they appeared for the look test.

It was also my job to give them inputs so that they carve out as an onscreen couple, Shekhar and Lalita in this case. I also believe apart from acting, other factors like costume, music, editing too contribute to the building up of a chemistry. No matter who they are in their real lives, two actors have to create something that will make the audience believe in their chemistry onscreen.

Image by Avishek Mitra/IBNS

Q. Was there any challenge in developing the setting as it dates back to more than a century?

A. The biggest challenge was framing. The world was completely different in 1905 as compared to 2024. We had to be cautious about various aspects to avoid dilution of the authenticity. Moreover, we have no clue how that world looked like in 1905. We had no reference to how Kolkata looked back then in the exact sense. It was a big challenge to capture a completely unseen world of 1905. So we tried to remain true to the text.

Q. Music is key in this web series. How much were you involved in that process with Indradip Dasgupta?

A. Apart from my minor suggestions, I never interfere in others' works. I give freehand to people in their respective expertise. I may give reference points or suggestions to the music director, but it is his/her prerogative to make the music in tandem with the storyline.