Noted actors and directors of the Bengali film industry have collaborated to produce short films conceptualised, shot and edited at individual homes to put across messages of resilience and self-restraint amid the coronavirus-induced lockdown.
The short films, available on YouTube, have been widely shared by Netizens across social media platforms.
A 13-minute film, conceptualised by none other than Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, drives home the message that humanity will triumph over crisis and uncertainties. Directed by Arindam Sil, the film 'Jhor themey jabey ek din' (Storm will pass one day) features the who's who of the industry, including Prosenjit Chatterjee, Rituparna Sengupta, Koel Mullick, Mimi Chakraborty, Nusrat Jahan, Subhashree Ganguly, Parambrata Chatterjee and Abir Chatterjee.
"Every actor shot his or her part on an iPhone from home and sent them to me. Bickram Ghosh added music to the film, which was released on the occasion of Bengali New Year. It was made to create awareness on COVID-19 and raise funds for the daily wagers," Sil said.
Filmmaker-duo Shiboprosad Mukhopadhyay and Nandita Roy, in another 4-minute film, tell the tale of two sisters one a homemaker and the other a working woman. "'Hing' shows how a homemaker and a working woman can complement each other. It was made with the sole aim of bringing smiles on the face of Bengalis who are sitting at home, stung by the COVID-19 crisis," Mukhopadhyay said. "All shots were taken separately, based on the script sent to the actors. And then the rushes were edited and made into a short film," he said.
Actor Aryaan Bhowmik, who has been a part of several acclaimed Bengali films, also made a short on the pandemic. "My film 'Lockdown' shows how a stressed-out individual finally learns to appreciate liberty after the lockdown. This pandemic has taught us to respect Mother Nature," Bhowmik said.
