Exclusive! Kalkokkho directors Sarmistha Maiti and Rajdeep Paul: Our film was written off by Bengali hall owners, hence, this National Award is a big validation

After the announcement of the 69th National Award, director duo, Sarmistha Maiti and Rajdeep Paul are over the moon. “Yesterday, India landed on the moon and today we are over the moon,” said Rajdeep, while talking to OTTplay. Their film, Kalkokkho, bagged the National Award for the Best Bengali Film. Produced by Aurora Film Corporation, the film features Tannishtha Biswas, Sreelekha Mukherji, actor Janardan Ghosh, and others. The film was screened at the 27th Kolkata International Film Festival.

Also read: Kalkokkho trailer: A dark saga of the pandemic and lockdown 

The film was released in August last year. However, despite its global acclaim, the film did not get a big release. “We went through a lot of despair and hopelessness as our film was written off by the hall owners and multiplexes in no time. The moment it started gathering momentum due to the word-of-mouth, they pulled it off. After that, this award is a big validation for us,” said Sarmistha. 

Also read: The first look of Rajdeep Paul and Sarmistha Maiti’s Mon Potongo is out 

Rajdeep agreed. He said, “We did not get a chance even at Nandan 1. We got Nandan 2 and like every small film, our film was removed in no time.” 

However, finally, the award made them happy. This is their second National Award after their debut documentary: At the Crossroads Nondon Bagchi Life and Living. It delves into the life of musician Nondon Bagchi and the legacy of jazz music in Kolkata. “That was our debut documentary and Kalkokkho is our debut feature. To bag the most prestigious award in India for both the debut work is gratifying. IKt is giving me a sense of solace,” said Sarmistha.