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Check the link….Do watch, comment and criticize. Singer and Lead : Kharaj Mukherjee. Cast : SreeLekha Mitra. Honey Bafna, Sayantani Guhathakurta, Ashok Viswanathan and students of Udita. Director : Taposhi Roy. Music Director : Biswabijoy Sen. Script : Amit Biswas.

Confined to Johannesburg, during the lockdown last year, I faced a situation where I was purposefully embarrassed among the miniscule Bengali association in Johannesburg. While I myself was to be blamed for crossing the boundary and got a bit too involved in the cultural activities of this association.

This triggered the concept of ‘ crab in a bucket’ and the story was written. Then the lyrics.  The draft script was written by another known person in Kolkata. Both lyrics and the script underwent various changes, before being finalized. Since I could not travel , WhatsApp and video calls were the only modus operandi. The creative urge overcame the geographical barriers. A known music composer was briefed to fine tune it and he did a decent job. Then search was on for a director. The singer was easy to choose as I had a college friend in mind, who is quite well known as an actor and singer. After some short listing, the director finally came on board and the budget was drawn up.

This exercise itself took three to four months and then another month went to arrange the finances. Thereafter the rehearsals of the students started  in my perennial loss making Acting Institute. Now a different set of BKC issues came up.

The lead actor wanted the shooting to be held in an out-location where he had invested in some properties. The music director got caught up in some other work and demanded more money. The Director was not able to finalize the other cast – I don’t blame her as she is not widely known. The budget went overboard. Each was trying to undermine the other , forgetting that film making is a collaborative effort. The issues were further compounded by my inability to be in Kolkata and my personal tragic issues were getting aggravated every month.

Finally some problems were resolved and more finances were poured in, bankrupting me. The shoot was done, albeit some of the night out-location scenes could have been better. The production team told me it was done under duress.  The Director and post production unit hibernated post Durga Puja and that is typical of Bengal’s work culture. The film got completed in December. I could finally travel during last Christmas. Now came the problem of selling the film or partnering with an established house. As usual, there were chance takers.

In the state of confusion, we finally managed to partner with a house who has a strong legacy and again I had to attend two meetings at their offices in Kolkata to finalize the agreement. The issues continued – only the focus got shifted. The employees in that house had their own priorities and our release got shifted. It finally got released two days back.

Now am battling with publicity, as one lead actress is busy in election campaign….the owes never seem to end. Am sure to have missed some other problems in this write-up..But Taposhi helped me to fight this battle.

Last night I wrote the following press scripts ( yet to be edited)…

“ What Bengal thinks today, India thinks tomorrow,” Gopal Krishna Gokhale. This quote has lost its sheen over a century and now Bengalis have perfected the art of brewing their Kankra culture to remain in their cocoon. The ongoing election poll manifestos promise everything but achievement orientation. Subsidies and freebies are promised by politicians for the Bengalis to ensure that they can make PNPC and Kathi deoa, a full time work and topple anyone trying to reverse the trend. The non-aspirational Bengali loves this and sings Bella Ciao ( Good Bye Beautiful).  BKC is a satirical musical film on the Bengali Kankra culture.

If I can’t have it, neither can you. Bengali Kankra culture excels in stabbing at the back. From Jagat Seth to Suvendu Adhikari, the Mir Zafars rule Bengal in all spheres. The ‘know it all’ Bengali , who lives in the laurels of the past has made West Bengal into ‘Waste Bengal’. BKC is a ….

The Prime Minister from Vadnagar flaunts his Rabindrik beard and speaks in halted Bengali. The Kalighat street fighter CM speaks in Bengali Hindi. A Lotus leader wants Bermuda to be the fashion quotient for women, who has fractured their leg. The CM thanks God for Mir Zafars leaving her party. Political parties are too aware of the Bengali Kankra Culture of the Bengalis and plays this to the hilt. Spread communal hatred, brew personal enmity, sling mud on each other, to make distrust stronger than trust, to ensure that envy is stronger than adulation. Will anything change in Bengal ? Impossible, as long as BKC prevails in our DNA. BKC is satirical musical film…..

The 7^th Shada Ripu of Bengalis is BKC. A state where CPI did not support Jyoti Basu to become the PM and its own politburo members indulged in the ‘crab in a bucket culture’ to veto it – not once, but twice. Bengalis forget that Tagore and Ray are of the past and remain lost in their own arrogance. A race which is not brave enough to take risks and gets lost in petty sycophancy to suit their needs of the moment. A mind where envy rules and not ambition. BKC is manifested in all spheres of life of a Bengali where the greatest living icon ‘ Amarty Sen’is also accused of ‘ Jomi chor’. BKC is a satirical…