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‘Feluda Meets Indiana Jones’ In Bengali Cinema’s First Treasure Hunt Franchise

Dhrubo Banerjee’s maiden feature Guptodhoner Sandhane not only became one of 2018’s biggest successes, it also gave Bengali cinema a new blockbuster franchise. In the latest film Durgeshgorer Guptodhon, its three lovable characters Sona-da (Abir Chatterjee), his nephew Abir (Arjun Chakrabarty) and the spirited Jhinuk (Isha Saha) return.

Dhrubo, how did the idea for the series originate?

Dhrubo: I have lived the idea from my childhood. You know how it is with Bengalis – Felu-da, Kakababu, Byomkesh … they are a rite of passage. Later, I got acquainted with Indiana Jones and National Treasure. Somehow, I always felt that these Hollywood adventures were extensions of the Felu-das and Kakababus. I believe people seek to find onscreen what they cannot in life. I love fantasy. The series allows me to explore that love for fantasy.

Was having a professor of history (Sona-da) as the hero inspired by Indiana Jones?

Dhrubo: No, not consciously so. I love history, it was my favourite subject in school. In fact, I wanted to be an archaeologist. Over the years I also realized that despite the rich history and heritage Bengal has to offer, and despite all the film franchises that have come up in recent times, we have none dealing with a treasure hunt. I think there’s enough treasure in Bengal’s history for us to sustain the franchise – I wanted to create a treasure hunt magnum opus without leaving Bengal….Click here to read the full story