Soumitra Chatterjee. The name itself evokes a million emotions for Bengalis and film-lovers. The man himself is a bundle of contradictions; from Apur Sansar to Bela Seshe, from Kony to Atanka ...

And, closely tied to their life and work was Soumitra Chatterjee (1935-2020). Together, they played important roles in the flourishing of a culture that was simultaneously very Bengali yet universal.

We had a fabulous time! On the Abar Aranye shoot we were assigned a forest bungalow that Soumitra, Shubhendu Chatterjee and I shared. Location shoots can get dull, particularly in the evenings ...