My father’s perception system conjures up me greater than his storytelling: Ujaan Ganguly

Ujaan Ganguly was nonetheless pursuing his research when he made his appearing debut with the Bengali movie ‘Rosogolla’ in 2018. A yr later, he appeared in ‘Lokkhi Chhele’, directed by his father, Nationwide Award-winning filmmaker Kaushik Ganguly.

Academically gifted, Ujaan went on to check on the College of Oxford. Whereas his mom, actress-director Churni Ganguly, had hoped he would proceed on the tutorial path, his inventive instincts ultimately drew him again to Kolkata. In 2025, he created the animated sequence ‘Kurukshetra’ for ‘Netflix’, which obtained widespread acclaim. Now, following in his dad and mom’ footsteps, he’s making his Bengali function directorial debut with ‘Katukutu Buro’.

Absolutely conscious that comparisons along with his celebrated dad and mom, significantly his father, are inevitable, Ujaan believes his cinematic voice is distinctly his personal. For his first Bengali function as a director, he has chosen the modern superhero style with ‘Katukutu Buro’. Whereas he intends to proceed appearing, he’s equally desperate to discover and set up himself as a storyteller behind the digital camera. ‘Millennium Submit’ chats with the younger maker.

Cinema has repeatedly explored the concept of the frequent man changing into a superhero, from ‘Batman Begins’ and ‘Joker’ to ‘Shazam!’, ‘Bhavesh Joshi Superhero’ and ‘Minnal Murali’. What did you’re feeling was nonetheless unexplored and the way does ‘Katukutu Buro’ supply a Bengali tackle that concept?

When you’re engaged on a sure matter, you all the time search for intersections that haven’t but been explored. That’s what I attempted to do. One factor I clearly perceive from the legacy of superhero motion pictures is that, with age, time and maturity, we start to grasp superheroes and comedian books… the standard DC and ‘Marvel’ tales… in a really completely different manner. Not all superhero content material is only for kids. As these tales get darker, whether or not it’s the systemic corruption in Gotham, the world of Daredevil, Bhavesh Joshi Superhero or Minnal Murali, each superhero story is responding to one thing. Generally it’s a private vendetta and generally it’s a societal problem. Nearly each superhero movie has an allegorical or symbolic construction of protest or an try to realize justice. That is essential to ‘Katukutu Buro’ as properly. When audiences watch the movie, they’ll revisit Sukumar Ray’s poem and realise that there’s all the time a deeper sense inside oneself.

Your father and acclaimed Bengali director Kaushik Ganguly’s movies usually celebrated flawed, human protagonists as a substitute of larger-than-life heroes. Has that storytelling philosophy unconsciously formed the way in which you designed ‘Katukutu Buro’?

When you take a look at the historical past of vigilante or superhero tales, it’s truly uncommon to discover a character who is not flawed. They’re virtually all the time flawed. And I feel a superb character is one with flaws. I respect that his movies deal with one thing rooted in society or one thing that’s flawed in society. I feel that’s an important method, not simply as a filmmaker or storyteller, but additionally as a society. That has clearly impressed me. However I’ve approached ‘Katukutu Buro’ in my very own manner. I’m extra impressed by his perception programs than by his storytelling mechanisms. I’ve learnt from his craft, however I wish to imbibe extra of the emotional and human points from each my dad and mom.

There are three storytellers in your own home. How a lot enter did your dad and mom give whereas scripting this script?

That is my story, nevertheless it’s additionally our story. It’s not that it’s unimaginable to put in writing a superb script by your self. My father has written single drafts which have turned out to be good. However I do imagine that, most often, collaborative writing yields higher outcomes. By collaborative writing, I don’t essentially imply having three or 4 writers writing collectively. I imply having one thing like a writers’ room… folks discussing the script, exchanging concepts.

‘Kurukshetra’ on ‘Netflix’ was a groundbreaking animated sequence. Did animation change the way in which you visualise motion, fantasy and world-building in ‘Katukutu Buro’?

In animation, creativeness is your largest forex. In fact, you want assets and budgets, however finally, it’s your creativeness that drives the whole lot. Given my animation background, after I’m writing a script, I can already visualise the pictures, the places, the weather, the colors and the general temper. Once more, live-action filmmakers do that as properly. Since ‘Katukutu Buro’ is my first function movie as a director, my expertise in animation actually helped me put together upfront, not simply when it comes to visuals, but additionally in deciding what sort of pictures, sounds and moods I wished. My course of turned a lot clearer due to animation.

Household Issues

Your mother-actress Churni Ganguly has usually mentioned that you just had been an excellent pupil and regrets that you just didn’t pursue your research additional. She additionally worries that you just’ve entered the identical unsure, freelance career as each of your dad and mom.

The leisure business is a contract space. There will probably be days when you may have work and there will probably be days whenever you don’t. I’ve seen my father go a complete yr with out incomes a single penny, whereas my mom was working in TV. You may’t utterly ignore that actuality. You may’t be an artist just for the sake of being an artist. These sensible issues will ultimately develop into essential. So, in fact, they fear.

And do you are concerned?

Perhaps it’s the foolishness of my age that I’m not occupied with it an excessive amount of proper now. In fact, I’m conscious of it and I’m working in the direction of it. I’m making an attempt to maximise my output as knowledgeable in order that these worries don’t develop into a actuality for me. As of late, many professionals have aspect hustles. Artists are doing the identical factor.