GOA (India) 22 November 2022: “The Storyteller is a humble tribute to Satyajit Ray, the doyen of Indian Cinema,” said actor Adil Hussain. The Cast and Crew of the Indian Panorama feature film, The Storyteller, addressing a ‘Table Talk’ at the 53rd International Film Festival of India in Goa said today.
Briefing the media, Adil – who played a pivotal role in the movie, said the film is based on a short story of the legendary filmmaker and Storyteller Satyajit Ray.
“As an artist, I feel that art should be free, but in today’s world, where a lot of commerce is involved in making a film, and nothing comes free of cost, it is the responsibility of the artist community to respect the originality of somebody’s creation and avoid plagiarism. So copyright is a challenging issue, not only in cinema but in every field these days, said actress Tannishtha Chatterjee.
Adding to the discussion on plagiarism Adil Hussain said, “As per Karmik law, anything you get free, you need to face a consequence for that. So for any product or service you receive, be it art or anything, either you should pay money or gratitude and acknowledgment to the creator. That should be the founding principle to deal with the issue of copyright.”
While speaking about his character, Adil said an actor should travel from his smaller self to the larger self to engross himself in the story and character. “To create empathy for the character is one of the biggest qualities of an actor,” he flagged.
Responding to a query, Actress Tannishtha said the purpose of art is to lead the artists and viewers to question themselves. Supplementing the answer, Adil said the deeper intent of art is to elevate us so that we can ask questions about our existence. “Cinema is not only meant to generate money, but also to create awareness,” he asserted.
Producer Suchhanda Chatterjee said the film gives a strong message against plagiarism. “It was a difficult journey of three years, but we are happy with the outcome,” she said.
The Storyteller was screened at IFFI-53 yesterday (21 Nov. 2022) and received a fabulous reception. The film is also competing for the coveted Golden Peacock at the festival.
Synopsis
Tarini Ranjan Bandhopadhyay, a maverick storyteller, is notorious for not sticking to one job and has switched 32 jobs in his working career. Now at 60, retired in Kolkata, and a widower, his only regret is that he could never find the time to give his late wife Anuradha the vacation she always desired. And now, suddenly, out of a job, he has all the time in the world, but his near ones aren’t close to him.
Director: Ananth Narayan Mahadevan
Producer: Quest Films
Screenplay: Kireet Khurana
Cinematographer: Alfonse Roy
Editor: Gourav Gopal Jha
Cast: Paresh Rawal, Adil Hussain, Revathy, Tannishtha Chatterjee, Jayesh More
