Rather stop than compromise my own terms: Srijit

On a sultry afternoon, we sit down for a chat with Srijit Mukherji and tell him what many are thinking - he’s found his groove again. With recent releases like ‘Padatik’ and ‘Shotyi Bole Shotyi Kichu Nei’, the National Award-winning director and one of the biggest names in the Bengali film industry, has returned to form. He smiles. He knows it too. Mukherji said that most of these scripts were written during the lockdown, a time when stories just kept flowing, even if the world outside had paused. One thing he always held onto was the idea of revisiting Ananda Kar - Parambrata Chatterjee’s character from ‘Hemlock Society’ (2012). And now, he’s doing exactly that with ‘Killbill Society’. The film, interestingly, began taking shape after he read a strange bit of trivia: that Angelina Jolie had once tried to hire a hitman to end her life. That line stayed with him and sparked something that eventually grew into a script.

From how he pitches his stories to why he’s slowly moving away from crowd-pullers like Feluda and Kakababu, Mukherji opens up in a candid conversation with ‘Millennium Post’.

You started this year with the release of ‘Shotyi Bole Shotyi Kichu Nei’, then shot ‘Killbill Society’ (which releases today), followed by ‘Winkle Twinkle’ and soon you will begin filming ‘Lawho Gouranger Naam Re’. In an industry where many filmmakers struggle to find producers, how are you managing all this?

I think, first and foremost, what you pitch and how you pitch it are very important when you’re setting out to make films. The story has to be compelling enough so that the producer doesn’t have the option to say no. If your story is strong and your track record backs it up - then that’s the combination that works. So, for producers, I am the guy who is delivering critically acclaimed films like ‘Padatik’ and also box office hits like ‘Dawshom Awbotaar’ and ‘Tekka’. There are different types of producers and you need to know which story to pitch to whom. For instance, ‘Winkle Twinkle’ is something I’d take to Firdausul Hasan. But ‘Shotyi Bole Shotyi Kichu Nei’ - despite being experimental - has commercial potential, so I pitched that to ‘SVF’ because they understand the value. I pitch my films based on the producer’s sensibility. That mindset makes a big difference. Also, my pitches are practical. Almost always, the films get greenlit. And once that happens, executing them becomes a matter of how efficient my team and I are.

Now that only ‘Lawho Gouranger Naam Re’ is left to shoot in 2025, what are your plans for the rest of the year?

‘Lawho Gouranger Naam Re will take time’. That’s partly why I wanted to wrap up everything else before diving into it. This film requires serious prep, a well-planned execution and it's scheduled for release in December.

During ‘Tekka’, Dev and I developed a friendship. I value my friends. Dev’s dream project ‘Raghu Dakat’ is being released during Durga Puja. Then there’s ‘Raktabeej 2’ by Shiboprosad Mukhopadhyay and Nandita Roy. So, we decided to bring ‘Lawho Gouranger Naam Re’ during Christmas.

Could you take us through your writing process?

‘Tekka’ wasn’t originally my script - it was written by someone else. I co-wrote the screenplay. ‘Dawshom Awbotaar’ is a more recent one. It’s designed to appeal to a broad audience, but it also reflects my love for thrillers, serial killers and Hindu mythology. ‘Shotyi Bole Shotyi Kichu Nei’ was written back in 2011. The scripts for ‘Winkle Twinkle’, ‘Padatik’ and ‘Lawho Gouranger Naam Re’ were written during the COVID-19 lockdown. I wrote five to six scripts in that period, which is why I now have a rich stockpile of stories.

‘Killbill Society’… Well, that seed was planted in the last scene of ‘Hemlock Society’. I always wanted to make a sequel with Anand Kar (played by Parambrata Chatterjee) returning.

How many scripts are you currently sitting on?

I’ve got five ready scripts. But right now, I’d rather focus on cricket commentary.

The seed of the story in ‘Killbill Society’ came from a real-life incident.

Yes, I read about Angelina Jolie once. When she was young, she wanted to end her life but didn’t want to traumatise her family. So, she hired a contract killer to kill her. The man told her to wait for a month and think it over. A month later, she changed her mind. That’s such a compelling starting point. So, in my film, an actress hires a contract killer to end her life because she can’t do it herself. That was the beginning of ‘Killbill Society’ for me.

You were part of such hit franchises like ‘Feluda’ on OTT and ‘Kakababu’. But why are you stepping away from them?

I believe all good things must come to an end. You need to know when to stop, especially if you can’t work on your own terms. Take ‘Feluda’, for instance. The stories I’m interested in - like ‘Ebar Kando Kedarnathe’ or ‘Kailashey Kelenkari’ - involves extensive travel and travel outside of North Bengal. Now, North Bengal is an easy travel option and also economically viable, which is why they’re going for ‘Royal Bengal Rahasya’ now.

If I don’t get that budget and there has been major budget slashing, then there’s no point doing those films, because it just doesn’t make sense. The same goes for ‘Kakababu’. One of the most exciting and real incentives for making ‘Kakababu’ films was the opportunity to travel to Egypt, the Swiss Alps and the Masai Mara. But I’ve exhausted those stories. I’ve always felt that ‘Byomkesh’ and ‘Feluda’ are far superior in terms of storytelling compared to ‘Kakababu’. The ‘Kakababu’ stories, in themselves, are weaker. So, unless there’s at least that incentive of travelling to a new country, discovering its food, capturing its visuals and weave all of that into the narrative, it’s not worth doing.

Take ‘Kakababur Protyaborton’, for instance. It’s a weak story. So, no matter how much I explore the landscape, the wildlife and the visuals, people will not get excited as they say, ‘It’s like a ‘National Geographic’ film’. I understand that. The visuals are grand, yes. But the stories just don’t hold up.

Is there a franchise you’re still interested in doing?

Yes. Not an entire franchise. But like I always wanted to do Byomkesh Bakshi’s ‘Durgo Rahasya’. And from the ‘Professor Shonku’ series, I’d love to make ‘Ek Shringo Obhijaan’ if I can get the rights.

Writing it right

Since your debut, you’ve consistently paid tribute to directors and your favourite storytellers. The title ‘Killbill Society’ has a connection with Quentin Tarantino. How much does he influence you?

I love Tarantino. I love his quotes. One of my favourite quotes is, “I didn’t go to film school. I went to films.” That resonates with me. But the etymology of ‘Killbill Society’ is not really Tarantino’s ‘Kill Bill’. There is an etymological reason why it is called ‘Killbill Society’. Still, it’s also a nod to Tarantino - a hat tip to one of the filmmaking greats.