Indranil Rowchowdhury: The breakthrough in Bengali cinema will come through independent films, even in the commercial space

Filmmaker Indranil Roychowdhury doesn’t believe in making films overnight. He is known for his diligence and patience. After Phoring in 2013, it took him almost a decade to release a full-length feature film Mayar Jonjal. The film which features Ritwick Chakraborty, Aupee Karim, Chandreyee Ghosh, Bratya Basu, Shohel Mondol, and others was shot in 2020. However, due to the pandemic, the release was delayed. Finally, the Indo-Bangladesh production will hit the theatre in both countries on February 24.

Indranil developed Mayar Jonjal based on two Manik Bandyopadhyay stories. The director who is known to make independent films faced difficulties in releasing Phoring. Talking about the current situation, he said, “The distribution and exhibition space is not unipolar anymore, so there is less monopolisation. As a result, many films that do not have stars worked.”

However, Indranil admitted that the distribution system does not favour independent films in Bengal. “There is an audience for Mayar Jonjal that would love to watch it. It is a relatable story of people we know. Ordinary people will identify. There are layers in Mayar Jonjal that people are not alien with. Common people are used to watching layered content on OTT platforms. But the distribution system does not favour independent films.

Meanwhile, Indranil firmly believes that the breakthrough in Bengali cinema will come through independent films, even in the commercial space. “The days of factory-produced commercial films are gone. Movies that come from boutique studios can be unexpected and strike a chord with the audience. This has happened in Kerala, Maharashtra, and other places. This is not an alien concept,” he said.