Director Goutam Ghosh Turns Actor

Kolkata: In a role reversal, MonerManush director Goutam Ghosh is all set to face the camera inSrijit Chatterjee's upcoming film Baishe Srabon.

Srijit, best known for the success of his first filmAutograph, is from among the new crop of talented directorsin Bengal.

Ghosh, who captured the life and time of saint-poetLalan Faqir in his Golden Peacock winning film Moner Manush,will essay the role of a poet in the movie.

"I am doing the role of a poet of the HungryGeneration in the film of Srijit (Chatterjee). When henarrated the character I felt I knew this man." Ghosh toldPTI.

"I decided to face the camera at the insistance ofSrijit and bumba (Prosenjit Chatterjee) who has an importantrole in the film," Ghosh said.

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The Hungry Generation was a literary movement in theBengali language launched by a section of rebel poets lead byShakti Chattopadhyay in the early 60s which challenged andsignificantly changed the language and the vocabulary used bycontemporary writers to express their feelings in literatureand painting.

"I saw this movement from close quarters during theheady days of my youth in 60s. I had interacted with thesepeople at Coffee House, the hub of cultural activities of thecity before Presidency College, in those days. So I didn'thave much problem in portraying the intricacies, the finershades of this character, a bit bohemian, a bit restive,"Ghosh said.

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The celebrated director, who first made his actingdebut in 1982 in Buddhadeb Dasgupta's Grihajuddha in 1982,said he clearly revelled in the role of being behind thecamera.

Ghosh, however, says his acting assignment is a oneoff thing and he has no intention of following RituparnoGhosh, who has done two films Just Another Love Story(Koushik Ganguly) and Memories in March (Sanjoy Nag).

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"I have already received several proposals, includingone from Kaushik for his next film, but have turned down all.I have other priorities. I don't want to be a director-actor.I would rather be known as actors' director," Ghosh said.

Srijit, whose first film Autograph was a runaway hit,said, "I am happy to have Goutamda in the film. He has done acommendable job. In fact Goutamda can give that dimension tothe character."

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The ever-busy director all set to begin shooting forhis Indo-Italian project Story of Lala in collaboration withItalian producer-writer Sergei Scapagnini on the issue ofdisplacement.