Aparajito actors Debashis Roy and Saunak Samanta team up in a new film, Nonajol | Exclusive

Debashis Roy and Saunak Samanta play two important characters – Subir Mitra (based on Satyajit Ray’s cinematographer Subrata Mitra) and Sunil Babu (based on Anil Chowdhury, Rays’s production manager) – in Anik Dutta’s Aparajito. The film which features Jeetu Kamal, Saayoni Ghosh, and others has been lauded by critics and viewers alike. Based on Satyajit Ray’s making of Pather Panchali, Anik Dutta’s black-and-white drama bagged a lot of accolades around the country. 

Also read: Aparajito release date: When and where to watch Anik Dutta’s recreation of Ray’s struggle to make Pather Panchali 

Now, Debashis and Saunak will be seen in another film, Nonajol. Directed by Alik Roy and Sudipta Goswami, the film has Sritama Dey in the lead. Debashis plays the character of the antagonist. In fact, the film also features Swati Mukherjee, who plays Durga’s mother in Aparajito. Lipamudra Mitra has recorded a song for the film that is scheduled to be released in November or December. 

Nonajol is an independent project that is developed largely through crowdfunding. Talking about the film, Debashis said, “The way the film was pulled off from its pre-production to postproduction, it was nothing less than a war for me. It is extremely difficult to complete an independent film – without a financier or even without proper equipment due to a lack of money. The members of a family joined in and took responsibility for different departments – EP, makeup, etc and completed the film. These members are experienced film crews. And finally, we have the film.”

Also read: Exclusive! Jeetu Kamal: After Aparajito, the audience expectations have gone up 

Nonajol delves into an area from Sundarban where a large number of people suffer from liver cancer due to a high trace of arsenic in water. The protagonist, played by Sritama, tries to eradicate the arsenic problem, while the antagonist, Damodor (Debashis), tries to stop her. “This is my first film with a negative character. It was a challenging role and I enjoyed portraying it,” said Debashis.