Iti Mrinalini
Encyclopedia
Iti Mrinalini is a 2010 Indian drama film directed by acclaimed Bengali
filmmaker Aparna Sen
. The director collaborates with debutant screenwriter Ranjan Ghosh
to pen the story and the screenplay, a first for her. The film has been produced by Shrikant Mohta and Mahendra Soni of Shree Venkatesh Films Pvt Ltd
. It is also the first film by Sen to be nationally released in Hindi
simultaneously with the Bengali
version for her Bengal audience. Many critics consider it to be her best work after Mr and Mrs Iyer, along with 36 Chowringhee Lane
.
Aparna Sen
returns to make a Bengali film after more than a decade. Her last was Paromitar Ek Din
, in 2000. Iti Mrinalini is supposedly the director's first mainstream venture in which she experiments with the popular genre. The much-touted film is on the life and times of a Bengali star-actress of mainstream cinema of yesteryear, who looks back at her life. Aparna Sen
plays the older Mrinalini while her daughter Konkona Sen Sharma
portrays the younger version.
Sen directs her daughter Konkona Sen Sharma
and also acts with her in the same film, another first for the mother-daughter duo that plays the same character. Featuring Sen and her daughter in the lead role, the film also stars Rajat Kapoor
, Priyanshu Chatterjee
, Koushik Sen
, Locket Chatterjee and German actor Suzanne Bernert in supporting roles. The entire cast, except Konkona, work in an Aparna Sen film for the first time.
However, before taking the pills that will put her to sleep forever, she decides to destroy all her memorabilia – letters, photographs, newspaper cuttings, knick-knacks pertaining to the past – lest they fall into the hands of the press. She has been a victim of media attention all her life and wishes to be spared that at her death.
As she looks through the old box that contains relics from her past, memories flood the night... Incidents that she had forgotten or had relinquished to the furthest corners of her mind now return to haunt her and, through these memories, an entire life is revealed – a life of loves lost and gained, friendships and betrayals, successes and failures, accidents and awards, agonies and ecstasies.
Mrinalini relives her past, as night gradually turns to dawn. An azaan (Islamic call to prayer) starts up somewhere. Slowly early morning light fills the room. The moment has passed and the death she had wished for so intensely no longer seems a priority. Her German Shepherd comes and rubs its head on its mistress’s feet and squeaks to be let out. Mrinalini smiles, tears up the suicide note and takes her dog out for a walk.
A new day starts. A new life awaits her. A new beginning she has chosen.
, the makers of Chokher Bali
and Raincoat
. The pre-production of the film started in the second week of April 2009 with ideation. Scripting started by end April.
In a major first, Sen got attached to the curriculum of any film institute. The screenplay of Iti Mrinalini was an assignment in the Screenwriting syllabus at the Mumbai-based film school Whistling Woods International. It was the first instance in Indian Screenwriting that any screenplay emerging from any Indian film institute had actually been filmed.
In Aparna Sen
's own admission at a Master Class on Cinema held on Fox History and Entertainment Channel
, in the three decades of her film-making career that was the very first time that she collaborated with any film writer. Based on an original story idea given to him by Sen, debutant screenwriter Ranjan Ghosh
, a screenwriting alumnus of Whistling Woods International, had written the story and the screenplay along with his director.
Incidentally, with Iti Mrinalini, Ranjan Ghosh
went on to become Aparna Sen
's first and only co-author since she began her prolific directing career with 36 Chowringhee Lane
in 1981.
The first draft of the screenplay of Iti Mrinalini was ready by end-July. The second and the third drafts were written successively by August and September. Cinematographer Shirsha Roy was supposed to shoot the film initially. However, date hassles kept him away. DOP Somak Mukherjee stepped in his shoes. Location scouting was carried out in Calcutta and Konark
in the month of August.
Like in her earlier films, Sen went in for a grueling acting workshop for the cast. The Calcutta chapter was for three weeks when daughter Konkona Sen Sharma
had flown down from Mumbai to attend the workshop. The Mumbai chapter was for another ten days thereafter with Rajat Kapoor
and Priyanshu Chatterjee
. The acting workshop was conducted by Sohag Sen.
Extensive and exhaustive pre-production meets were held regularly at Sen's place throughout the months of August and September. The production design of this film has been handled by Sen along with her directorial assistants. Sen entrusted her scriptwriter Ranjan Ghosh
- who also doubled up as Assistant Director - with the unique task of creating Mrinalini's memory items. The entire memorabilia of the actress were thereby designed and created by Ghosh with some help from the art department. Her longtime junior colleague at the Bengali-language Women's magazine Sananda (magazine), Sabarni Das, designed the costumes for Sen's film. Das helped in the art direction and handled the costumes for the period film.
Bengali writer Sunil Gangopadhyay
is linked with Iti Mrinalini. One of his cult poems, Smritir Shohor has been turned into a song for the film. Incidentally, this is the first time any of Gangopadhyay's poems have been used as a song for any film. Music director Debajyoti Mishra has scored for Sen once again.
Iti Mrinalini is also the first film to be shot by Aparna Sen
in record time. The film's unit faced an uphill task of completing the shoot covering 38 locations in just 33 days. The shoot covered areas around Calcutta like the Vidyasagar Setu
, the Howrah Bridge
, Baghbazar
Ghat, College Street
, Favourite Cabin, Calcutta Greens, Science City, Alipore Zoo
, New Market
, Priya Cinema, Ganga Kutir, Silver Spring apartment among a host of others.
For the outdoor schedule, the unit went to Konark for a week in the latter half of October.
It was a return to history for the film unit. The sound of "lights, camera, action" returned to Calcutta Movieton studio at Tollygunge
’s 28A Chandi Ghosh Road, which reopened after 25 years with Iti Mrinalini. The studio was once owned by yesteryear star Kanan Devi
, who sold it to businessman Jagdish Bagri in 1985. "I had no intention to run a studio back then but now Tollywood is big," said Bagri. Iti Mrinalini producer Shree Venkatesh Films had taken two floors on hire for the film shoot.
Dubbing was held in Calcutta over two phases. In the first phase, lasting a week, in early December, all major and secondary characters completed their dubbing. The second phase lasted for three days whence Aparna Sen
did her portion. The dubbing session in Mumbai began in the third week of January 2010 and continued till March 2010. Iti Mrinalini has been dubbed in Hindi as well.
Sound design and the final mix-down was completed in the 'Maximum City' in September.
2010, held in Mumbai on 27 October 2010.
It had its world premiere at the Cairo International Film Festival
, on 30 November 2010.
The film opened the River to River. Florence Indian Film Festival
on 3 December 2010, which was also its European premiere.
The Gulf premiere was on 13 December 2010 at the Dubai International Film Festival
. Reportedly both the scheduled shows went houseful at the Festival.
Iti Mrinalini was given a standing ovation at the 8th Edition of the Chennai International Film Festival
on 23 December 2010, with very positive reviews.
The film was screened on 12 January 2011 at the 9th Pune International Film Festival, in the Indian Cinema section.
The prestigious Slamdance Film Festival
presented Iti Mrinalini at the 9th Annual Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles, on 14 April 2011. It also marked the USA premiere of the film. The film won considerable critical acclaim at the fest.
Iti Mrinalini was selected as the Centerpiece Film at the 11th Annual edition of the IAAC
's popular film festival NYIFF which ran from 4 May to 8 May 2011, in Manhattan
. The critics had favourable reviews for the film here as well.
Silk Screen Asian American Film Festival, held from 6th - 15th May 2011 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, screened Iti Mrinalini.
The film was further selected at the 14th Shanghai International Film Festival held from 11th - 19th June 2011.
The film was slated for a commercial release in hometown Calcutta, along with a simultaneous national release in Hindi on 15 April 2011. It is now slated for a national release on 29 July, followed by a worldwide release on 31st July 2011.
, with lyrics by Sunil Gangopadhyay
, Srijit Mukherjee and Rabindranath Tagore
. The music was released on 28 March 2011.
Bengali people
The Bengali people are an ethnic community native to the historic region of Bengal in South Asia. They speak Bengali , which is an Indo-Aryan language of the eastern Indian subcontinent, evolved from the Magadhi Prakrit and Sanskrit languages. In their native language, they are referred to as বাঙালী...
filmmaker Aparna Sen
Aparna Sen
Aparna Sen is a critically acclaimed Bengali Indian filmmaker, script writer, and actress. She is the winner of three National Film Awards and eight international film festival awards.-Biography:...
. The director collaborates with debutant screenwriter Ranjan Ghosh
Ranjan Ghosh
Ranjan K Ghosh is an Indian-Bengali film-writer from the Film Industry of Maharashtra, Mumbai and West Bengal, Kolkata. Based in Mumbai, Ghosh is the first and the only screenwriter, acclaimed Bengali filmmaker Aparna Sen has collaborated with so far in her illustrious career.-Early life:Brought...
to pen the story and the screenplay, a first for her. The film has been produced by Shrikant Mohta and Mahendra Soni of Shree Venkatesh Films Pvt Ltd
Shree Venkatesh Films
Shree Venkatesh Films is a Media and Entertainment company headquartered in Kolkata, West Bengal. Apart from producing and distributing Bengali films, SVF has distributed Bollywood and Hollywood films in eastern India. The other divisions of the company include Exhibition, TV Production, Digital...
. It is also the first film by Sen to be nationally released in Hindi
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
simultaneously with the Bengali
Bengali language
Bengali or Bangla is an eastern Indo-Aryan language. It is native to the region of eastern South Asia known as Bengal, which comprises present day Bangladesh, the Indian state of West Bengal, and parts of the Indian states of Tripura and Assam. It is written with the Bengali script...
version for her Bengal audience. Many critics consider it to be her best work after Mr and Mrs Iyer, along with 36 Chowringhee Lane
36 Chowringhee Lane
36 Chowringee Lane is a 1981 film written and directed by Aparna Sen and produced by Shashi Kapoor. The film was very well received upon release. It stars Jennifer Kendal in a critically acclaimed role and Debashree Roy.-Plot:...
.
Aparna Sen
Aparna Sen
Aparna Sen is a critically acclaimed Bengali Indian filmmaker, script writer, and actress. She is the winner of three National Film Awards and eight international film festival awards.-Biography:...
returns to make a Bengali film after more than a decade. Her last was Paromitar Ek Din
Paromitar Ek Din
Paromitar Ek Din is an award-winning Indian Bengali feature film directed by Aparna Sen.-Plot:This film is exploring the dual themes of friendship and loneliness. Sanaka and Paromita are mother and daughter-in-law who, despite differences in age, backgrounds and temperaments, build a strong...
, in 2000. Iti Mrinalini is supposedly the director's first mainstream venture in which she experiments with the popular genre. The much-touted film is on the life and times of a Bengali star-actress of mainstream cinema of yesteryear, who looks back at her life. Aparna Sen
Aparna Sen
Aparna Sen is a critically acclaimed Bengali Indian filmmaker, script writer, and actress. She is the winner of three National Film Awards and eight international film festival awards.-Biography:...
plays the older Mrinalini while her daughter Konkona Sen Sharma
Konkona Sen Sharma
Konkona Sen Sharma is an Indian actress. She is the daughter of actress and filmmaker Aparna Sen. Sharma appears primarily in Indian arthouse and independent films, and her achievements in the genre have established her as one of the leading actresses of contemporary parallel cinema.Making her...
portrays the younger version.
Sen directs her daughter Konkona Sen Sharma
Konkona Sen Sharma
Konkona Sen Sharma is an Indian actress. She is the daughter of actress and filmmaker Aparna Sen. Sharma appears primarily in Indian arthouse and independent films, and her achievements in the genre have established her as one of the leading actresses of contemporary parallel cinema.Making her...
and also acts with her in the same film, another first for the mother-daughter duo that plays the same character. Featuring Sen and her daughter in the lead role, the film also stars Rajat Kapoor
Rajat Kapoor
Rajat Kapoor is an Indian actor, writer and director born in 1961.Kapoor was born in Delhi, India. As a teenager he would watch films with his family and decided to become a filmmaker at the age of 14. He mainly focused on acting at first...
, Priyanshu Chatterjee
Priyanshu Chatterjee
Priyanshu Chatterjee . who hails from Delhi, is an Indian model and actor.-Personal life:Priyanshu is a commerce graduate from Delhi University. Whilst doing an internship to become a chartered accountant, he took up modelling. He modeled for five years, working on projects such as Digjam's Print...
, Koushik Sen
Koushik Sen
Koushik Sen is a prominent Indian TV, Bengali film and Bengali theatre and stage Actor.He is an accomplished actor both on stage and in film. He won the prestigious BFJA awards for best supporting actor for his performance in the Mrinal Sen directed film Aamar Bhuvan.-Early life:He studied at the...
, Locket Chatterjee and German actor Suzanne Bernert in supporting roles. The entire cast, except Konkona, work in an Aparna Sen film for the first time.
Theme
The film examines the randomness of life. Nothing is under our control and at times, we should just let go - just let it be what it will. The film explores different forms of love - one that happens in early youth, one that's more domestic, one that falls somewhere between friendship and love, and one resulting out of loneliness and seclusion.Plot
Mrinalini, an ageing actress, writes a suicide note. As a performer, the first lesson she had learnt was timing – the perfect moment for making an entrance or an exit on stage. On the stage of life, her entrance had been outside her control; but she wants to choose the moment of her exit at least.However, before taking the pills that will put her to sleep forever, she decides to destroy all her memorabilia – letters, photographs, newspaper cuttings, knick-knacks pertaining to the past – lest they fall into the hands of the press. She has been a victim of media attention all her life and wishes to be spared that at her death.
As she looks through the old box that contains relics from her past, memories flood the night... Incidents that she had forgotten or had relinquished to the furthest corners of her mind now return to haunt her and, through these memories, an entire life is revealed – a life of loves lost and gained, friendships and betrayals, successes and failures, accidents and awards, agonies and ecstasies.
Mrinalini relives her past, as night gradually turns to dawn. An azaan (Islamic call to prayer) starts up somewhere. Slowly early morning light fills the room. The moment has passed and the death she had wished for so intensely no longer seems a priority. Her German Shepherd comes and rubs its head on its mistress’s feet and squeaks to be let out. Mrinalini smiles, tears up the suicide note and takes her dog out for a walk.
A new day starts. A new life awaits her. A new beginning she has chosen.
Cast
- Konkona Sen SharmaKonkona Sen SharmaKonkona Sen Sharma is an Indian actress. She is the daughter of actress and filmmaker Aparna Sen. Sharma appears primarily in Indian arthouse and independent films, and her achievements in the genre have established her as one of the leading actresses of contemporary parallel cinema.Making her...
as Younger Mrinalini Mitra - Aparna SenAparna SenAparna Sen is a critically acclaimed Bengali Indian filmmaker, script writer, and actress. She is the winner of three National Film Awards and eight international film festival awards.-Biography:...
as Older Mrinalini Mitra - Priyanshu ChatterjeePriyanshu ChatterjeePriyanshu Chatterjee . who hails from Delhi, is an Indian model and actor.-Personal life:Priyanshu is a commerce graduate from Delhi University. Whilst doing an internship to become a chartered accountant, he took up modelling. He modeled for five years, working on projects such as Digjam's Print...
as Imtiaz Chowdhury - Rajat KapoorRajat KapoorRajat Kapoor is an Indian actor, writer and director born in 1961.Kapoor was born in Delhi, India. As a teenager he would watch films with his family and decided to become a filmmaker at the age of 14. He mainly focused on acting at first...
as Siddhartha Sarkar - Koushik SenKoushik SenKoushik Sen is a prominent Indian TV, Bengali film and Bengali theatre and stage Actor.He is an accomplished actor both on stage and in film. He won the prestigious BFJA awards for best supporting actor for his performance in the Mrinal Sen directed film Aamar Bhuvan.-Early life:He studied at the...
as Chintan Nair - Shaheb Bhattacharjee as Abhijeet Mukherjee
- Locket Chatterjee as Maithili Sarkar
- Srijit MukherjiSrijit MukherjiSrijit Mukherji is an erstwhile economist, actor, director, lyricist, and theatrician from the Indian movie industry of West Bengal, Kolkata.-Early life:...
as Ranajoy Mitra - Suzanne Bernert as Julia Campbell
- Gargi Roychowdhury as Sumitra Debi
- Ananya ChatterjeeAnanya ChatterjeeAnanya Chatterjee is a Bengali film actress known for her National Award-winning role in Abahoman. She started her career as a TV actress. She acted in several TV serials and films, including three directed by Anjan Dutt...
as Hiya Majumdar - Dulal Lahiri as Prasad Sen
- Rita Koiral as Moti
Pre-production
For the first time, Sen teamed up with Shree Venkatesh Films Pvt LtdShree Venkatesh Films
Shree Venkatesh Films is a Media and Entertainment company headquartered in Kolkata, West Bengal. Apart from producing and distributing Bengali films, SVF has distributed Bollywood and Hollywood films in eastern India. The other divisions of the company include Exhibition, TV Production, Digital...
, the makers of Chokher Bali
Chokher Bali
Chokher Bali , literally Sand of the Eye, equivalent to eyesore, is a Bengali novel written by Rabindranath Tagore in the early twentieth century.-Plot:...
and Raincoat
Raincoat (film)
Raincoat is a 2004 Hindi film directed by Rituparno Ghosh, and starring Ajay Devgan and Aishwarya Rai. It tells the story of two lovers, separated by destiny, who meet again one day. This encounter allows each to realize the truth about the lives they are living...
. The pre-production of the film started in the second week of April 2009 with ideation. Scripting started by end April.
In a major first, Sen got attached to the curriculum of any film institute. The screenplay of Iti Mrinalini was an assignment in the Screenwriting syllabus at the Mumbai-based film school Whistling Woods International. It was the first instance in Indian Screenwriting that any screenplay emerging from any Indian film institute had actually been filmed.
In Aparna Sen
Aparna Sen
Aparna Sen is a critically acclaimed Bengali Indian filmmaker, script writer, and actress. She is the winner of three National Film Awards and eight international film festival awards.-Biography:...
's own admission at a Master Class on Cinema held on Fox History and Entertainment Channel
Fox History & Entertainment
FOX Traveller is a cable and satellite channel owned by Fox International Channels Inc. . It is distributed in India by NGC Network Private Limited...
, in the three decades of her film-making career that was the very first time that she collaborated with any film writer. Based on an original story idea given to him by Sen, debutant screenwriter Ranjan Ghosh
Ranjan Ghosh
Ranjan K Ghosh is an Indian-Bengali film-writer from the Film Industry of Maharashtra, Mumbai and West Bengal, Kolkata. Based in Mumbai, Ghosh is the first and the only screenwriter, acclaimed Bengali filmmaker Aparna Sen has collaborated with so far in her illustrious career.-Early life:Brought...
, a screenwriting alumnus of Whistling Woods International, had written the story and the screenplay along with his director.
Incidentally, with Iti Mrinalini, Ranjan Ghosh
Ranjan Ghosh
Ranjan K Ghosh is an Indian-Bengali film-writer from the Film Industry of Maharashtra, Mumbai and West Bengal, Kolkata. Based in Mumbai, Ghosh is the first and the only screenwriter, acclaimed Bengali filmmaker Aparna Sen has collaborated with so far in her illustrious career.-Early life:Brought...
went on to become Aparna Sen
Aparna Sen
Aparna Sen is a critically acclaimed Bengali Indian filmmaker, script writer, and actress. She is the winner of three National Film Awards and eight international film festival awards.-Biography:...
's first and only co-author since she began her prolific directing career with 36 Chowringhee Lane
36 Chowringhee Lane
36 Chowringee Lane is a 1981 film written and directed by Aparna Sen and produced by Shashi Kapoor. The film was very well received upon release. It stars Jennifer Kendal in a critically acclaimed role and Debashree Roy.-Plot:...
in 1981.
The first draft of the screenplay of Iti Mrinalini was ready by end-July. The second and the third drafts were written successively by August and September. Cinematographer Shirsha Roy was supposed to shoot the film initially. However, date hassles kept him away. DOP Somak Mukherjee stepped in his shoes. Location scouting was carried out in Calcutta and Konark
Konark
Konark is a small town in Puri district in the state of Orissa, India, on the Bay of Bengal, sixty-five kilometers from Bhubaneswar. It is the site of the 13th-century Sun Temple , built in black granite by King Narasimhadeva-I of the Eastern Ganga Dynasty. The temple is a World Heritage Site...
in the month of August.
Like in her earlier films, Sen went in for a grueling acting workshop for the cast. The Calcutta chapter was for three weeks when daughter Konkona Sen Sharma
Konkona Sen Sharma
Konkona Sen Sharma is an Indian actress. She is the daughter of actress and filmmaker Aparna Sen. Sharma appears primarily in Indian arthouse and independent films, and her achievements in the genre have established her as one of the leading actresses of contemporary parallel cinema.Making her...
had flown down from Mumbai to attend the workshop. The Mumbai chapter was for another ten days thereafter with Rajat Kapoor
Rajat Kapoor
Rajat Kapoor is an Indian actor, writer and director born in 1961.Kapoor was born in Delhi, India. As a teenager he would watch films with his family and decided to become a filmmaker at the age of 14. He mainly focused on acting at first...
and Priyanshu Chatterjee
Priyanshu Chatterjee
Priyanshu Chatterjee . who hails from Delhi, is an Indian model and actor.-Personal life:Priyanshu is a commerce graduate from Delhi University. Whilst doing an internship to become a chartered accountant, he took up modelling. He modeled for five years, working on projects such as Digjam's Print...
. The acting workshop was conducted by Sohag Sen.
Extensive and exhaustive pre-production meets were held regularly at Sen's place throughout the months of August and September. The production design of this film has been handled by Sen along with her directorial assistants. Sen entrusted her scriptwriter Ranjan Ghosh
Ranjan Ghosh
Ranjan K Ghosh is an Indian-Bengali film-writer from the Film Industry of Maharashtra, Mumbai and West Bengal, Kolkata. Based in Mumbai, Ghosh is the first and the only screenwriter, acclaimed Bengali filmmaker Aparna Sen has collaborated with so far in her illustrious career.-Early life:Brought...
- who also doubled up as Assistant Director - with the unique task of creating Mrinalini's memory items. The entire memorabilia of the actress were thereby designed and created by Ghosh with some help from the art department. Her longtime junior colleague at the Bengali-language Women's magazine Sananda (magazine), Sabarni Das, designed the costumes for Sen's film. Das helped in the art direction and handled the costumes for the period film.
Principal photography
The production of the film started on 6 October 2009.Bengali writer Sunil Gangopadhyay
Sunil Gangopadhyay
Sunil Gangopadhyay , is a celebrated Indian poet and novelist.-Early life:...
is linked with Iti Mrinalini. One of his cult poems, Smritir Shohor has been turned into a song for the film. Incidentally, this is the first time any of Gangopadhyay's poems have been used as a song for any film. Music director Debajyoti Mishra has scored for Sen once again.
Iti Mrinalini is also the first film to be shot by Aparna Sen
Aparna Sen
Aparna Sen is a critically acclaimed Bengali Indian filmmaker, script writer, and actress. She is the winner of three National Film Awards and eight international film festival awards.-Biography:...
in record time. The film's unit faced an uphill task of completing the shoot covering 38 locations in just 33 days. The shoot covered areas around Calcutta like the Vidyasagar Setu
Vidyasagar Setu
Vidyasagar Setu, also known as the Second Hooghly Bridge, is a bridge over the Hooghly River in West Bengal, India. It links the city of Kolkata to Howrah. The bridge is a toll bridge for all vehicles. At a total length of 822.96 m, it is the longest cable-stayed bridge in India and one of the...
, the Howrah Bridge
Howrah Bridge
The Howrah Bridge is a cantilever bridge that spans the Hooghly River in West Bengal, India. Commissioned in 1943, the bridge was originally named the New Howrah Bridge, because it links the city of Howrah to its twin city, Kolkata . On 14 June 1965 it was renamed Rabindra Setu, after Rabindranath...
, Baghbazar
Bagbazar
There is also a bagbazar in Kathmandu, Nepal.Bagbazar is a neighbourhood in north Kolkata, in the Indian state of West Bengal...
Ghat, College Street
College Street (Kolkata)
College Street is a street in north Calcutta. It stretches from Bowbazar to Mahatma Gandhi road crossing. It houses many centres of intellectual activity in the city...
, Favourite Cabin, Calcutta Greens, Science City, Alipore Zoo
Alipore Zoological Gardens
The Alipore Zoological Gardens is India's oldest formally stated zoological park and a big tourist attraction in Kolkata, West Bengal. It has been open as a zoo since 1876, and covers...
, New Market
New Market, Calcutta
New Market is a market in Kolkata situated on Lindsay Street. Technically, it referred to an enclosed market but today in local parlance the entire Lindsay Street shopping area is often known as New Market.-History:...
, Priya Cinema, Ganga Kutir, Silver Spring apartment among a host of others.
For the outdoor schedule, the unit went to Konark for a week in the latter half of October.
It was a return to history for the film unit. The sound of "lights, camera, action" returned to Calcutta Movieton studio at Tollygunge
Tollygunge
Tollygunge is a locality of South Kolkata. It is flanked by the Eastern Railway south suburban line to the north, Lake Gardens and Golf Green in the east, the Pashchim & Purba Putiaries in the south, and Behala in the west.-History:...
’s 28A Chandi Ghosh Road, which reopened after 25 years with Iti Mrinalini. The studio was once owned by yesteryear star Kanan Devi
Kanan Devi
Kanan Devi was an Indian actress and singer. She was among the early singing stars of Indian cinema, and is credited popularly as the first star of Bengali Cinema...
, who sold it to businessman Jagdish Bagri in 1985. "I had no intention to run a studio back then but now Tollywood is big," said Bagri. Iti Mrinalini producer Shree Venkatesh Films had taken two floors on hire for the film shoot.
Post-production
The first two cuts of the film were completed by end November 2009 and by mid December 2009 respectively. While the first cut went up to 140 minutes, the second cut's duration was 135 minutes. The final duration is 128 minutes, and was completed in January 2010.Dubbing was held in Calcutta over two phases. In the first phase, lasting a week, in early December, all major and secondary characters completed their dubbing. The second phase lasted for three days whence Aparna Sen
Aparna Sen
Aparna Sen is a critically acclaimed Bengali Indian filmmaker, script writer, and actress. She is the winner of three National Film Awards and eight international film festival awards.-Biography:...
did her portion. The dubbing session in Mumbai began in the third week of January 2010 and continued till March 2010. Iti Mrinalini has been dubbed in Hindi as well.
Sound design and the final mix-down was completed in the 'Maximum City' in September.
Release and reception
Iti Mrinalini opened to excellent reviews at its domestic premiere in the 'Indian Frame' section at the 12th MAMI International Film FestivalMumbai Academy of the Moving Image
The Mumbai Academy of the Moving Image is a public trust that organizes annual International Film Festival in Mumbai known as the Mumbai Film Festival...
2010, held in Mumbai on 27 October 2010.
It had its world premiere at the Cairo International Film Festival
Cairo International Film Festival
The Cairo International Film Festival is an annual film festival held in Cairo, Egypt. It was established in 1976 and was the first international film festival held in the Arab world...
, on 30 November 2010.
The film opened the River to River. Florence Indian Film Festival
River to River. Florence Indian Film Festival
River to River. Florence Indian Film Festival is an annual film festival in Florence, Italy that showcases independent and low-budget Indian films...
on 3 December 2010, which was also its European premiere.
The Gulf premiere was on 13 December 2010 at the Dubai International Film Festival
Dubai International Film Festival
The Dubai International Film Festival is an international film festival based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Launched in 2004, it aims to foster the growth of filmmaking in the Arab world.-Overview:...
. Reportedly both the scheduled shows went houseful at the Festival.
Iti Mrinalini was given a standing ovation at the 8th Edition of the Chennai International Film Festival
Chennai International Film Festival
The Chennai International Film Festival is a festival organised in the city of Chennai by the Indo Cine Appreciation Foundation with the support of the Government of Tamil Nadu, the South Indian Film Chamber of Commerce and the Film Federation of India...
on 23 December 2010, with very positive reviews.
The film was screened on 12 January 2011 at the 9th Pune International Film Festival, in the Indian Cinema section.
The prestigious Slamdance Film Festival
Slamdance Film Festival
As a year-round organization, Slamdance serves as a showcase for the discovery of new and emerging talent in the film industry; it is also the only major film festival fully programmed by filmmakers. Slamdance counts among its alumni many notable writers and directors who first gained notice at the...
presented Iti Mrinalini at the 9th Annual Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles, on 14 April 2011. It also marked the USA premiere of the film. The film won considerable critical acclaim at the fest.
Iti Mrinalini was selected as the Centerpiece Film at the 11th Annual edition of the IAAC
Indo-American Arts Council
The Indo-American Arts Council is an American non-profit cultural organization that promotes Indian art, theatre, film, fashion, music and dance in the United States. The Council was established in 1998 in New York City...
's popular film festival NYIFF which ran from 4 May to 8 May 2011, in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
. The critics had favourable reviews for the film here as well.
Silk Screen Asian American Film Festival, held from 6th - 15th May 2011 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, screened Iti Mrinalini.
The film was further selected at the 14th Shanghai International Film Festival held from 11th - 19th June 2011.
The film was slated for a commercial release in hometown Calcutta, along with a simultaneous national release in Hindi on 15 April 2011. It is now slated for a national release on 29 July, followed by a worldwide release on 31st July 2011.
Soundtrack
The soundtrack has music composed by Debojyoti MishraDebojyoti Mishra
Debojyoti Mishra is an Indian film composer. He became popular with his minimalist classical compositions for the film Raincoat. He also worked on a Bengali film, Chaturanga....
, with lyrics by Sunil Gangopadhyay
Sunil Gangopadhyay
Sunil Gangopadhyay , is a celebrated Indian poet and novelist.-Early life:...
, Srijit Mukherjee and Rabindranath Tagore
Rabindranath Tagore
Rabindranath Tagore , sobriquet Gurudev, was a Bengali polymath who reshaped his region's literature and music. Author of Gitanjali and its "profoundly sensitive, fresh and beautiful verse", he became the first non-European Nobel laureate by earning the 1913 Prize in Literature...
. The music was released on 28 March 2011.
Awards
- Won- New York Indian Film Festival (Best Director) - Aparna SenAparna SenAparna Sen is a critically acclaimed Bengali Indian filmmaker, script writer, and actress. She is the winner of three National Film Awards and eight international film festival awards.-Biography:...
- Won- New York Indian Film Festival (Best Actress) - Konkona Sen SharmaKonkona Sen SharmaKonkona Sen Sharma is an Indian actress. She is the daughter of actress and filmmaker Aparna Sen. Sharma appears primarily in Indian arthouse and independent films, and her achievements in the genre have established her as one of the leading actresses of contemporary parallel cinema.Making her...