A Bengali film is bringing back Lord Curzon in a fantasy tale on the silver screen.
“‘Curzoner Kalom’ (Curzon’s Pen) is a fictional account of Lord Curzon leaving behind his pen after inaugurating a Durga Puja at a ‘bonedi’ (affluent) household of North Kolkata in 1905 and the events unfolding later on,” director Souvik Mitra told PTI.
Photo courtesy: indian expressReviving the era of ‘Bango Bhango’ (Partition of Bengal) in 1905, the film will visit the tumultuous days with scenes of agitation outside the fictional Zamindar household as Curzon comes to inaugurate the Durga Puja, Souvik said.
Rare still footage of the period as well as graphics will be merged to give the film an authentic look.
“The background will reverberate with ‘Go back Curzon’ slogans raised by ‘Swadeshis’ and sounds of protests against splitting of Bengal as we sought to recapture the era, but what better way than setting it in the time of the heady days of partition,” the director said.
“We have sought to combine two important features that troubled the Bengali psyche – one is the festering wound of dividing a state having people who share the same food, speak the same language and sing the same melodies.
“The other feature revolves round a Bengali’s sentimental attachment to the Durga Puja,” Souvik said.
An Englishman, a regular in city’s social circles, will essay the role of Lord Curzon, while young actor Saheb Bhattacharya will enact a young member of the aristocratic Mitra household of North Kolkata in the film.
The other half of the film will be in the contemporary times when the ‘Kalom’ left behind by Curzon in the October 1905, is discovered from an obscure corner of the mansion during a clean-up process for the 111-year old Durga Puja by a present day descendant and events unfold thereafter.
Apart from the pen, which itself becomes a character, newcomer Poulami will be among the cast.
Describing the film as of the same genre as Ray’s adventure classic “Sonar Kella” or more recent fantasy/science fiction “Patalghar” by a contemporary director, the film’s music director Debojyoti Mishra said “Curzoner Kalom” deals with the greed of human beings.”
“The historical element in the film has been narrated in the family song, the virtual anthem of the household known to every member running through generations. There will be few more numbers in the genres of ‘Agomoni’ and others and I find the briefs quite interesting,” Debojyoti, who was closely associated with late Rituparno Ghosh, said.
