‘Cannes like a second home’: Mrinal Sen

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PTI

Mrinal Sen Photo PTI

“Gauranga, Gaurangare” is an anxious mother’s (Geeta Sen) soul wrenching call awaiting her son’s return in the climax of “Calcutta 71”. The blank face of Rajen Tarafdar conveying a thousand words in “Akaler Sandhane” (In Search of Famine). Countless moments like these form important ingredients of Mrinal Sen’s films.

Mrinal Sen, now 93, along with Satyajit Ray and Ritwik Ghatak, elevated Indian films to international standards and made the cinema lovers world over appreciate them.

In an interaction with The Hindu, the icon opens his heart out about film festivals, his contemporaries and his works.

Excerpts from the interview:

Your absence in recent film festivals is very much felt.

I am unwell and my movements are restricted. Yes, I definitely have a secret desire still to attend as many international film festivals as possible. Due to health reasons I cannot. Last year during Kolkata Film Festival, Govind Nihalani visited me. Govind, Geeta and I thoroughly enjoyed a creative conversation. I also miss film festivals at Cannes, Berlin and Venice. I was a jury member in many of them. My films received encomiums there as well as in India. Cannes is like a second home to me.

Your memories of Ray, Ghatak and other illustrious contemporaries.

Ray and I were at Ritwik Ghatak’s side before he passed away. For once I understood how cruel death could be. Ray’s “Aparajito” and Ritwik’s “Meghe Dhaka Tara” are unforgettable. I wept in joy viewing Tapan Sinha’s “Khanekar Athiti”. Rajen Tarafdar’s wife literally persuaded him to accept the character I offered him in “Akaler Sandhane”. I penned the script of a film by Ajay Kar at his request. Asit Sen, Tarun Majumder and Bijoy Bose were competent filmmakers. Currently I pin high hopes on Kaushik Ganguly.

Mime, jump cuts, poetic play of lights and colours. colons. How did you work so well with them?

To me content is of prime importance in the creation of an honest and memorable film. Technique is definitely required but it should never precede content. Be it mime, jump cut on a particular use of light and shade, it is a work of pure imagination. A thinking that gels with my script. I follow my creative instincts and try best to be rational while opting for a particular technique. To give my audience sudden jerk or complicating simple issues has never been my motto.

Are you averse to Hollywood cinema?

An impertinent question. Why should I be averse to Hollywood? I personally prefer European cinema. At the same time I always admired the works of John Ford, Victor Fleming and David Lean. “Gone With The Wind”, “Brief Encounters” and “How Green Is My Valley” are timeless classics. I was really moved after viewing “Judgment At Nuremburg” and “My Fair Lady”. About three years ago I penned my tribute to my idol Sir Charles Chaplin.

What is your view about the present trend of returning awards?

George C. Scott refused an Oscar for “Patton”. I admire his honesty and grit. If I feel I do not deserve an award, I will never opt for it. I will certainly not return an award I received years ago. On a personal level I do not want to comment on the trend of returning awards at all. I never chaired national awards. Even Ray did not. I strongly condemn any bias or intolerance in society.