If there’s one question that Srijit Mukherji gets often, it is why he announces more than one film. The director has two very pertinent reasons for it. He says, “There is one too many reasons to announce films. Firstly, there are subjects on which people work parallelly in the world. You simply don’t know who is working on which one. So, if you like a subject and feel you have an inner calling, you should announce it. At least, that way people won’t be able to say that you have followed others in making that film. A blocking of a theme if you may. Secondly, a director has to plan his calendar, actors need to chalk out dates and technicians, too, need to be free. And most importantly, we have to lock in DoPs for a project. All this needs to be done at least a year or year and a half in advance.”

The director, however, maintains that he doesn’t announce films just for the sake of it. I only announce films that I have ever completed or am in the process — like script-writing or getting finances.

Work-wise, Srijit has competed the recce for his next, Gumnami Baba, the mysterious sadhu from Ghaziabad, who was rumoured to be Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose in disguise. There are too many rumors and conspiracy theories on Netaji’s return to India after his supposed death in Taihoku plane crash. Srijit’s upcoming film’s plot is one of those rumours which apparently set the crux of the film. “We are yet to fix dates because we are looking at a combination of actors for the film. It will be a two-hero film. Beside Prosenjit Chatterjee, one more actor will be playing an important role. We are yet to lock him,” Srijit says.