Killbill Society is a mix of nostalgia and newness: Srijit Mukherji

Q. How would you describe your run in the films in early 2025 in view of the critical acclaim, box office success and the Filmfare Award?

A. It's a very productive phase which I think started from X=Prem that led people to start saying they were getting the vibes of OG Srijit Mukherji. Then came 2023 when Dawshom Awbotaar where serial killing and Hindu mythology were blended for the biggest blockbuster of the year. Durgo Rawhoshyo, my first and last and the only Byomkesh film, also released the same year to a lot of acclaim. I witnessed a complete reversal in 2024 when people finally said I was back with Padatik, Shekhar Home and Shotyi Bole Shotyi Kichhu Nei with Tekka for box office success and also Bhuswargo Bhoyonkawr.

It has been very satisfying two-three years now and I am happy that I have been able to strike the balance. The audience's taste has changed post Covid so now one should make films that appeal to all kinds of cravings- the niche, populist, experimental, childhood nostalgia. That's what I have been doing and it has given me a balance.

Q. Hemlock Society was one of your early works that offered a new taste of films. Do you think the audience now will be much more open to this kind of flavour with Killbill Society as compared to the first installment which released in 2013?

A. Umm.. yes and no, both. The audience is open to it but on OTT and that's the risk I am taking. The absence of OTT from 2010 to 2020 was an advantage as the audience had to flock to the theatres to experience different kinds of themes. Now they have the option of OTT which is actually very detrimental for the niche genre films that are experimental. The audience is now getting divided when it comes to watching films in theatres. The films that have worked in theatres post Covid are big-ticket films and visual spectacles. The only advantage is that Killbill Society is a franchise film for which there is a curiosity and a captive audience.

A. I am doing that by cutting the trailer, releasing songs which give a fresh take, and changing the name as well as the character. One doesn't have to know who Ananda Kar (Parambrata Chattopadhyay's role in Hemlock Society) was. The new audience can relate to a new character, named Mrityunjoy Kar (Parambrata's role in Killbill Society), from the shell of an old character. So we are pushing the newness in the content in that sense. It is banking on nostalgia but there are a lot of new things and of course, the biggest new thing in this film is Koushani (Koushani Mukherjee) who features as an influencer-turned actress. Her positioning in the society is also very new and up-to-date so we are banking on that.

Q. What thought process went into the casting?

A. Param, of course, chooses himself. Despite having a few other names, we went for Koushani simply because the new age audience needs the protagonist to be from their milieu, profession, things they relate to, a younger face which has less baggage. Bohurupi was the first striking off-mainstream film which Koushani did followed by Killbill Society. I saw the spark of Koushani in Bohurupi and I thought why not work hard and make it a forest fire.

Q. Tell us about the look of Parambrata Chattopadhyay.

A. I think a very big reason for the bald look is the last scene of Hemlock Society where Parambrata was shown already losing hairs due to his terminal illness. So in Killbill Society, twelve years have passed and it's kind of a medical miracle to have Ananda Kar alive (smiles) but without any hair. So that's how the look was designed. Parambrata willingly agreed to go bald. He gives his all for the film.

Q. How enjoyable is it to work with Parambrata Chattopadhyay while experimenting with these kinds of looks?

A. Param is like Rahul Dravid. I always go to him whenever I am in any trouble and he has always delivered, be it Chotuskone, Zulfiqar, Shahjahan Regency. I give him multiple options when it comes to roles. He is such an intelligent and under-rated actor that he delivers and pulls up anything which is why I have such a blast working with him.

Parambrata Chattopadhyay (L) and Koushani Mukherjee (R) in Killbill Society. Photo courtesy: SVF

Q. Recently in an interview, you said OTT is becoming an extended version of TV. How disappointing is it for you?

A. Oh very, very. It is disappointing not only for me but also for the audience. If OTT becomes a hub of TV+ contents then where will experimental, quirky films go? They need a medium to be exhibited. I am not surprised because most of the heads in charge of OTT contents are former TV people so obviously their aesthetics will creep into the web platform and turn it into a glorified television philosophy.

Q. Aparna Sen told IBNS that the OTTs are banking on streaming big budget films. How do you think this trend is hurting OTT itself?

A. It is really impacting the OTT itself because a lot of OTT budgets have been slashed mercilessly. It has happened in Bombay (Mumbai) as well as in Kolkata and that is exactly why I had to quit Feluda because I can't get it done in the kind of budget allocated. Hence, I think we need to consider OTT as an extension of cinema and not television.

Q. Shotyi Bole Shotyi Kichhu Nei had religious, political statements and as much we have learnt, you are going to follow that in your upcoming flick, Winkle Twinkle. How difficult is it for you to make such films in today's world?

A. Very difficult. First of all, we need a producer who would back such a film, get it passed the censor board. I am bracing myself for a session with the censor board once Winkle Twinkle is ready because I have used the real names of the original plays. I used the real names to convince the censor board that if a play can use the real names in the public domain, then I will have to do the same if I am building my film on it. So I can't change names of politicians or political parties because those are germain to the script.

Q. Is it a thought-out process to work in bulks in this phase of your career, quite contrary to what a senior filmmaker would do?

A. No, no, it's just happening. It's like a lot of old scripts are coming and getting executed. To name one, I wrote the script of Shotyi Bole Shotyi Kichchu Nei in 2011 after I made Autograph. There are new scripts as well. I am a workaholic, I sleep for four-five hours maximum. I believe in working hard and partying harder and leaving the rest for the critics and historians without worrying about judgement (laughs).