Srijit Mukherji: The idea has haunted me for four years

Mukherji flanked by Kabi and Tripathi

Srijit Mukherji is a relieved man today. After kicking off the shoot of Sherdil in the Dooars in North Bengal on November 21, the filmmaker called it a wrap by the first week of December. The three-week shoot stands in stark contrast to the many years it took for the project to get off the ground. "The film's idea has haunted me for four years. To watch the story unfold in front of my eyes was incredible," begins the noted Bengali filmmaker. The idea for the Pankaj Tripathi, Neeraj Kabi and Sayani Gupta-starrer came to him after he read an article about poverty-stricken villagers living near the Pilibhit Tiger Reserve, who would send their elderly family members to the forest as tiger prey so that they could claim compensation.

It has been a long struggle to make the movie that was considered commercially unviable by certain studios. The project rolled when T-Series and Reliance Entertainment came on board. "We had been working on it since 2018, and were to shoot in 2019. It then got pushed to 2020, only to be delayed further by the pandemic." Giving shape to the film with Tripathi was a joyful experience, just as the director had expected. "It was cold and everything a forest could possibly be in the winter. Pankaj would stay back with us after his shoot, wandering around the jungle. After working in the city, when you visit the jungles, it's a cathartic experience. We all used to have long addas after shooting." Mukherji is all praises for his leading man. "As an artiste, Pankaj is in control of his craft. He contributes creatively, but is never interfering. He was euphoric when we completed the movie ahead of time."