Kolkata: Annada Munshi, the doyen of painting and commercial art in the country and Satyajit Ray's mentor, was portrayed by Anik Dutt in his film 'Aparajito' quite naturally. However, the usage of the word 'tui' while addressing Ray and his habit of carrying a hip flask as depicted in the film, sparked controversy over the authenticity of his character.
Shibpriya Bagchi, the granddaughter of Annada Munshi, had a lot to complain about. "It was great to see 'Aparajito'. But there is a serious objection. How did the director find out that Annada Munshi used to carry a hip flask in her kurta pocket? How did he know that Annada Munshi used to address Satyajit Ray as 'tui'?" she asked while talking to ETV Bharat.
"According to the script, Annada Munshi used to drink in the office in the evening — we have objections in these portrayals. My grandfather's children are still alive. He could talk to them once before making the film. Anik Babu is a very skilled, prudent director. I didn't expect this from him," Shibpriya Bagchi told ETV Bharat on Tuesday.
Shibpriya, after getting the phone number from the correspondent, rang up Anik Dutt. Anik Dutt had also texted her on WhatsApp. "Anik Babu called me on WhatsApp. He apologised. He told me if I had told him once before. According to Anik Babu, getting drunk is not a bad thing. He agreed that he would have also felt bad had his grandfather been portrayed like this. 'I apologize'. Now, it is not possible to drop that from the film."
"However, his apology has doused the anger. He said that he will meet with us one day and have an 'adda' (gossip session). The biggest thing is that he has apologized," Shibpriya added.
Filmmaker Anik Dutt though didn't like to divulge much on the matter. "I have spoken to Shibpriya about this. Why should I tell anyone else about what the discussion was about?" Dutta said. The film stars Jeetu Kamal as Aparajito Ray, Sayoni Ghosh as Bimala Ray and Debashis Roy as Subir Mitra.
Anik Dutt-directed Bengali film 'Aparajito' is widely appreciated by Ray fans in India and abroad, however, the film remains mired in controversy. The movie is a tribute to legendary filmmaker Satyajit Ray on his birth centenary and is about the making of Ray's first film, 'Pather Panchali'. Aparajito is presently screening in theatres.
