National Award winning filmmaker Pradipta Bhattacharyya’s next ‘
Rajlokkhi O Srikanta
’ is inspired by the first volume of
Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay
’s iconic novel ‘Srikanta’. Srikanta of the eponymous novel was a rather strange person, unable to stay somewhere for too long a time, travelling from one place to another like a nomad, in search of life. And because of his travels he met so many men and women and the many strange incidents of these strangers’ lives entangled with his.
Pradipta’s modern day take sees
Ritwick Chakraborty as Srikanta while Bangladeshi actress Jyotika Joti plays Rajlakshmi. Rahul Banerjee will be seen in an interesting character of Srikanta’s friend Hukumchand who was less explored in the original novel. Sayan Ghosh and
Aparajita Ghosh Das also essay pivotal roles.
"In this film, Srikanta is an unmarried man in his mid-thirties, who works in a private nursing home in Kolkata. He has a history of quitting jobs; as he doesn’t liked doing any of them. He wants live independently, discarding the trite and mediocre rules that dictate ordinary life. At such a juncture, an old college friend Hukumchand, an influential business tycoon, invites him on a picnic to a hilly province far from Kolkata. Srikanta, eagerly accepts Hukum’s offer," said Pradipta while speaking about the film.
Srikanta also had a love interest once back in her village, a young girl named Rajlokkhi, a destitute refugee from Bangladesh. However the relationship falls apart because of Srikanta’s own mistakes. Afraid and nervous he turns his back on Rajlokkhi. Her father seizes the opportunity and sells her off to a pimp, who in turn brings her to the city and sells her again to a brothel.
Srikanta, meanwhile, joins Hukum on the trip to the hill station where he comes face to face with a nautch girl named Piyaribai, Hukum’s mistress, and recognises her as Rajlokkhi. He also learns that she is still in love with him.
Srikanta suddenly finds himself faced with a chance to rectify his past mistakes. But there are numerous obstacles to be faced on the way as well. What will Srikanta do next? Which of his personalities will take over? And in which direction will his life inevitably lead him?
‘Rajlokkhi O Srikanta’ is slated for a release on September 20.