Wearing nothing but bare essentials was embarrassing: Jisshu

Srijit Mukherji’s ambitious next,

Ek Je Chhilo Raja

, is based on the

Bhawal case

of 1921, a decades-long court case about the mysterious return of Ramendra Narayan Ray, the second prince of the Bhawal estate. Twelve years after his supposed death, in 1921, a holy man resembling the dead prince arrived at the estate, sparking off rumours that the prince had indeed returned. What follows is an intriguing courtroom battle in history.

Rich colours, opulent sets and elaborate costumes lend the film the much-needed magnificence. Speaking of the costumes in the film that have already garnered a positive response, Srijit said, “Creating a look for a prince can be easy but in this case, Ramendra Narayan Ray is not really a prince but a landlord who inherited a large estate. The distinct looks in the film are curated in accordance with time periods and circumstances. I knew it could make or break the grandeur that I aimed to put across. The clothes had to do justice to the strong personalities and had to also reflect their sociopolitical context. Sabarni (Das) has done a fine job of it. Besides, we had the original pictures for reference.”

Jisshu

U Sengupta, who plays the titular character, said, “From a prince to a sanyasi — I’ve worn contrasting clothes in the film. This was a first for me. Wearing nothing but bare essentials as a sanyasi was a bit embarrassing. There would be around 200 people on sets and it was rather awkward! Moreover, it was very cold in

Murshidabad

, where we were shooting. It added to the challenge.”

Sabarni Das, the film’s costume designer, said, “My primary research point was Partha Chatterjee’s A Princely Impostor?. The story is not mythology or pre-history. These events were in the recent past and so much material is easily available, in the form of paintings, fiction, journal articles and films. The clothes, style and jewellery — were all made in West Bengal. I had to keep in mind Ramendra Narayan Ray’s background in various phases of his life, the economic and social conditions, and the era. It was challenging working on the film as the budget was tight since Srijit strives for perfection.”