Sharmila Tagore stayed in a chowkidar's room while Simi Garewal got a bungalow during the shoot of Satyajit Ray's Aranyer Din Ratri: ‘You cannot imagine how hot it was'
After being methodically restored over six years, filmmaker Satyajit Ray's 1970 film Aranyer Din Ratri (Days and Nights in the Forest) was screened in the Cannes Classic section at the ongoing Cannes Film Festival. The film starred Soumitra Chatterjee, Subhendu Chatterjee, Samit Bhanja, Rabi Ghosh, Sharmila Tagore, Kaberi Bose, Simi Garewal and Aparna Sen. Actors Sharmila Tagore and Simi Garewal attended the event, which was hosted by the celebrated filmmaker Wes Anderson. The restoration and screening of the film also brought back the old memories for the actors. Speaking about the film, Sharmila recalled shooting for the film in extreme conditions.
Sharmila Tagore was shooting for Rajesh Khanna' Aaradhna when she received a call from Satyajit Ray. The veteran actor recalled her conversation with him and told The Hollywood Reporter India, 'He said, 'Will you work in my film? I need you for one month… in month of May'. Without thinking I said yes. Then when I put the phone down, I said, 'Oh God, I am committed to Shakti Samanta because he was doing Meri Sapno Ki Rani that exact May.'
She added, 'Rajesh Khanna was very busy because he had won a talent contest and was indebted to 12 producers. So he had to give dates to everybody and they were all making a film. His dates were very precious. I said, 'Shakti ji, I just have to do this film. Somehow I negotiated and managed to come to Satyajit Ray and then went back to the other film.'
Sharmila Tagore, who had marked her acting debut with Satyajit Ray's Apur Sansar (The World of Apu), didn't want to take the risk of saying no to the filmmaker. 'I always treated him with a little bit of awe, respect, like you did to your father', said the actress.
ALSO READ | Forget the actor, it's Mohanlal the producer who should make a comeback; the one behind both his National Awards for Best Actor
In the same conversation, the 80-year-old screen legend recalled, 'When we were shooting for Aranyer Din Ratri, we were staying in different places because there was paucity of space. Simi (Garewal) and Kaberi (Bose) stayed in a sort of next-door village in a plush forest bungalow. Satyajit Ray with Soumitra Chatterjee and other crew members stayed in another place. And Samit Bhanja, Subhendu Chatterjee, Rabi Ghosh and I stayed in another place.'
'I had the chowkidar's room and I had a water cooler. In dry weather, it worked very well. These guys were in a shed with tin roof. So they would all joke about themselves and say 'I am Rabi roast, Subhendu would say I am sauteed Subhendu' because it used to be so hot. You cannot imagine how hot it was. We could only work from 5:30 AM to 9:00 AM and then again from 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM. Rest of the time, we just bonded and became good friends. It was really a tough location.'
Sharing the reason behind the filmmaker choosing the particular month of May for his shoot, Sharmila said, 'He wanted that time because the trees were leafless. He wanted a particular look and it was only possible in May because then the rains came soon after and before that it was all leafy and lush.'
Aranyer Din Ratri is a Bengali-language adventure drama film based on the novel of the same name by Sunil Gangopadhyay. The film was primarily shot in the Palamu region of Jharkhand. Palamu is one of the twenty four districts of Jharkhand and the temperature crosses 44 degrees Celsius during summer, making it an extremely tough location to work in.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Pink Villa
13 hours ago
- Pink Villa
Dakota Johnson Turns to Revenge Dress Fashion After Splitting From Chris Martin Post 8 Years of Dating
Dakota Johnson is channeling her inner Princess Diana, and it's everything we're looking for and more. Stepping out amid her promotions for the upcoming romance film Materialists, the actress donned a sheer, black dress, stunning everyone with her ease and charm shortly after her split from Chris Martin. It was recently reported that the couple decided to break off their engagement after being together for 8 years. Dakota Johnson's Princess Diana Connection Going out and about her business in New York City on Thursday, the Fifty Shades of Grey actress made a bold statement with her all-blake fit, truly taking more than just one page out of the Princess of Wales' style book. Known as the infamous 'revenge dress', the British star had also worn an all-black ensemble to supposedly take revenge on her husband, Prince Charles, who is said to have cheated on her with Camilla, by showing her just what he had given up on. Dakota Johnson, on the other hand, was drenched in luxury, smiling at the paparazzi and her fans waiting outside The Greenwich Hotel before riding off in her car for more promotional activities. It is one of the first few outings from the 35-year-old, who is said to have separated from the Coldplay frontman after being in love for 8 years. The duo is also rumored to have gotten engaged secretly many years ago, with recent spottings making their break-up news all the more unbelievable. Chris Martin and Dakota Johnson were spotted all loved up and cozy as recently as the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, which saw her stepping onto the red carpet multiple times, taking over the internet with her fun style. It is not known as to why the couple decided to part ways, but a source close to the couple told PEOPLE that this time felt like it was 'final'. Meanwhile, the actress is currently in the middle of promoting her upcoming romance film Materialists. Chris Evans and Pedro Pascal take spots as her co-stars in the heavily anticipated love triangle.
Deccan Herald
15 hours ago
- Deccan Herald
'It Was Just an Accident' Cannes review: Jafar Panahi's latest is a suspenseful political drama
Jafar Panahi's 'It Was Just an Accident' emerged as the most politically urgent and emotionally devastating entry, earning the veteran Iranian filmmaker the prestigious Palme d'Or award at the Cannes Film Festival this year. Yet, the film's resonance goes far beyond awards. It is both a powerful work of cinematic art and a defiant act of resistance — crafted in secrecy, brimming with moral complexity, and deeply rooted in the personal and political trauma of Iran's recent film opens with a mundane incident that quickly spirals into a moral crucible. A family — husband Eghbal (Ebrahim Azizi), his pregnant wife, and their daughter — accidentally hit a dog on a dark road. Their car breaks down, and they take refuge at a garage where the attendant, Vahid (Vahid Mobasseri), hears the creak of Eghbal's prosthetic leg. The sound triggers Vahid's memory of being tortured in prison; he is convinced this man is "Peg-leg," the interrogator who brutalised him and others under the Iranian regime. Driven by a thirst for vengeance, Vahid abducts Eghbal and prepares to bury him alive. But doubt soon emerges — is this truly the man who tormented him? .What follows is a suspenseful, often darkly comic odyssey that unfolds over the course of a single day. Vahid assembles a group of fellow victims — Shiva, a photographer; Goli and Ali, a couple interrupted mid-wedding shoot; and Hamid, a volatile former detainee — to verify Eghbal's identity. Each character brings their trauma and perspective, and their debates — whether driven by rage, resignation, or uncertainty — form the moral backbone of the brilliance of Panahi's script lies in its refusal to offer clarity. We, like the characters, are blindfolded — uncertain of the truth, forced to wrestle with our assumptions and sympathies. Is Eghbal the perpetrator? And if he is, does vengeance restore justice — or simply perpetuate the cycle of violence? .Thematically, 'It Was Just an Accident' echoes Panahi's own life. Since 2010, he has faced imprisonment, house arrest, and a ban on filmmaking imposed by the Iranian government. Yet, he has continued to make films in secret, turning limitations into artistic innovation. The film is imbued with the urgency and emotional charge of someone who has suffered but remains defiant. .While rooted in Iran's political reality, the film transcends its immediate context. Panahi's film confronts the impossibility of closure for survivors of state violence. The blindfold motif — used both literally and symbolically — underscores how justice is often obscured, reliant on memory, interpretation, and 'It Was Just an Accident' is not merely a grim reckoning. Panahi interweaves moments of absurdity and dark humour: a bride in full gown pushing a van, debates over bribe payments made via contactless card readers, and exasperated arguments about the cost of vengeance. These comic detours do not undercut the film's gravity; instead, they humanise the characters and reveal the surreal logic of life under authoritarian rule. The long extended standing ovation Panahi received at the festival after the film's stunning conclusion, was considered by many as less like applause and more like solidarity. The jury's decision to award him the Palme d'Or was not only an artistic endorsement but also a symbolic act — recognising the risks he took, the message he delivered, and the bravery of creating such a film under oppressive conditions. .The final scenes, marked by a long static take and a crescendo of emotional unraveling, are unforgettable, but could have been avoided in terms of aesthetic principles of keeping open the dilemmas of human situation. Though they encapsulate the fragility of truth, the brutality of memory, and the ambiguity of justice, confirming the identity of the perpetrator and his rather lame confessions could appear prosaic. But that doesn't lessen the final impact of the film. Rather than offering resolution, Panahi leaves us with questions —about ourselves, about systems of power, and about how pain lingers across is a film of political resistance, moral inquiry, and cinematic excellence. It reminds us that cinema, even when made in defiance of tyranny, can illuminate, challenge, and change the world — or at the very least, its viewers.
India.com
15 hours ago
- India.com
Meet actor whose mother worked as domestic help, father sold coconuts, now a star, worked with Salman Khan, Rani Mukherjee, his name is...
In the world of glitz and glamour, there are various actors who transitioned from rags to riches. Though their journey was not easy, they never lost the grit and determination to pursue their dreams. From Nawazuddin Siddiqui to Thalaiva Rajinikanth, many actors in Indian cinema started their lives doing odd jobs and eventually reached the pinnacle of success. Today, we will discuss one of those actors who faced many hardships in his life, but never gave up! Result? This actor, because of his work, walked the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival 2025. The actor we are talking about started his journey in the TV industry. His silver screen appearances made him a known face, and later, he made his Bollywood debut in 2019 with Rani Mukerji's film Mardaani 2. The movie was a game changer for him and since then, he never looked back! We are talking about none other than Vishal Jethwa. Mardaani 2, which was the sequel to Rani Mukerji's Mardaani, featured Vishal and his character stole the show as the villain in the film. However, post that, Vishal never looked back. While growing up, life was not easy for Vishal. His father used to sell coconuts. The actor lost his father at the age of 14 and was raised by a single mother, who once worked as a domestic help. In an interview, Vishal revealed that his mother used to wash utensils and mop floors at other people's houses. However, Vishal and his family's condition improved when he landed the lead role of Akbar on Bharat Ka Veer Putra – Maharana Pratap in 2013. Vishal started his journey with TV and then in 2019, he featured in Mardaani 2. He also played Kajol's on-screen son and the titular character in the 2022 film Salaam Venky. Recently, Vishal made his stellar debut at the Cannes Film Festival when he walked the red carpet. His film Homebound premiered at the film festival. The movie also features Ishaan Khatter.
