Debojyoti Mishra recalls his first meeting with Rituparno Ghosh

Not a single interview of him is complete without mentioning, even in passing, for his dearest friend Rituparno Ghosh. However, there’s an interesting story that still amuses Debojyoti Mishra, It was his first meeting with Rituparno and how they went on to become best friends.
On the master filmmaker’s birth anniversary, the ace composer shares with ETimes how years back, at Salil Chowdhury’s studio he first came across Rituparno.

“It was Salil Chowdhury’s studio where I first met him. The curly-haired young man who seemed to be a little effeminate still etched in my memories. With a smile in his face, he had introduced himself as Rituparno Ghosh. He then touched Salilda’s feet and settled down to discuss some songs which even the icinic composer couldn’t remember and he was quite surprised! Ritu was a nice singer as well. He had even sung one ad jingle that was quite famous then. Next we had our meeting yet again in 1995, when I was offered to make the background score of ‘Unishe April’. I had gone to the set, but surprisingly Ritu didn’t even recognize me. It hurt me and I had decided not to work with him. Interestingly, so many years later, he had told me, ‘You came to the set with a foreigner... and you wore that shirt.’ Interestingly, he had seen everything, but in his philosophy, work was more important. Luckily we got the chance to work together again for a serial ‘Bahanno Episode’, I had composed the title track while he wrote it.

Then, after an ad that we did, he had asked me how much should he pay and I said whatever you think is appropriate. You won’t believe he gave me the amount, which even in these days’ standard was huge. He said I have received a good amount and that’s why I can pay you a decent amount. So, when I will be in dearth of it, you will be composing for me free of cost. You can understand money had never interested him,” recalls a nostalgic Debojyoti whose association with Rituparno Ghosh led to so many interesting stories.