Kolkata calling!

Kolkata is the city of joy for some and the city of dreams for others but for Anumol, it has been a city she had been dreaming of visiting since her school days. She had satisfied her longing for the city by seeing Kolkata through the eyes of acclaimed filmmakers like Satyajit Ray, Rituparno Ghosh, and Mrinal Sen, etc. Oh yes, not to forget the Kolkata that the famous writer Madhavikutty laid bare in her novels.

So when Anumol finally landed in Kolkata, all these images kept whirring in her mind like a kaleidoscope. Now on her fourth day in the city, Anumol says with astonishment, “All I see is light everywhere I go! The pooja festival is coming up next month and the entire city is getting decked up. The stamp of the British rule can be seen in its Victorian buildings and I am so happy to be here!” One can almost hear the glee in her voice from across the distance and picture her doing a little tap dance. 

But Anumol is not in the city as a tourist; rather she is in work mode. The talented actor has crossed borders to Bong land to play the lead in a Bengali film titled Obhimani Jol (Walking over Water) directed by Kolkata-based National Award filmmaker Josh Joshy Joseph. The director had watched Anumol’s Malayalam film Valiya Chirakulla Pakshikal directed by Dr Biju at the Kolkata International Film Festival and was impressed by her performance.

He explains, “I was on the lookout for a person like Anumol for Obhimani Jol.” So he got her number through a common friend Sohini Dasgupta and got in touch with her. Anumol, who always had a deep respect and love for Bengali films, could not have asked for a better launch pad. She explains, “Since the industry was new to me, I checked Joshy’s profile and found that he had proved his mettle through his national awards. After listening to his narration, I understood that it is a content-driven film too!” 

Joshy adds, “Although  the shooting schedules are divided into painfully long gaps for  aesthetic reasons, Anumol decided to wait and that kind of commitment is rare.”  Anumol plays the role of a Malayali living in Kolkata and though it is a Bangla film, there are English and Malayalam bits in it. The shooting of the film has started in Kolkata and she shares, “The narrative is very intense with realistic  elements. I had the opportunity to see the footage of what I shot and felt it was very raw and real. I have to travel all over India for the film and I am so excited about that.” She also shares her view that Bengali and Malayalam films are similar with regard to the appearance of the female actors and their body type. “At least that is what I feel,” she feels.

Along with the numerous film-related meetings and shooting, Anumol has managed to sneak in some time to discover the charms of the city that has always enthralled her.  And yes, she also squeezed in time to do a photo shoot for designer Ayush Kejriwal. No doubt, Kolkata is the city of joy for her!