How has the initial response to Gora been?
Overwhelming. Intellectuals think perhaps it’s time to go back to DD (where it airs); the younger audience feels it’s well-crafted cinema.
How did the project happen?
It was my dream to film Gora, and my brother Somnath Sen (who directed it) and I spoke about it over the years. Then DD commissioned it, for Tagore’s 150th birth anniversary.
What drew you to the novel?
The subject: what makes a human being, a society; how barriers are created by man.
Did you stray from the original novel?
Only cinematically, but we were careful to stay true to the text. Tagore wrote it in serialised form, so we had to keep the fluidity of time.
How does Gora stand out on TV?
We consciously kept the treatment of the series different.
Your role as creative producer?
This was my first fiction project, and I had to make sure the research was authentic, that the film resonated Tagore’s text well.
The challenges of revisiting a classic?
It being a period piece, production was a challenge. Plus, Gora has a huge cast—58 speaking parts. Also, working on location in Calcutta and recreating a city of the 1880s was tough.
Music forms a huge part of Gora. How did you weave it all in?
We wove in a lot of Baul references, owing to Tagore’s connection with Baul music. In fact, many of the characters in the series are identified through music.
Was it tough to squeeze the novel into a 26-episode series?
It wasn’t impossible. Ideally, I would have loved to double the time, have longer episodes.
Was DD the right platform for Gora?
Yes. Who else would have taken on something as controversial as Gora, that challenges nationalism, fundamentalism? I can’t imagine any other channel supporting it.
