Producer Amit Agarwal Returns to Bengali Cinema: A Journey of Passion and Evolution

This year, Amit Agarwal is returning to the Bengali cinema business as a presenter for the forthcoming film Sada Ronger Prithibi, directed by Raajhorshee De, and as a producer and presenter for Ashoke Viswanathan's Hemanter Aparanha. Amit produced his first film in 2012 after beginning his career in 1998 as a technical director and editor. After starring in Astra, his first Bengali film, he spent many years working in Mumbai and being involved in important projects. He also intends to make his directorial debut this year with his first animated picture. Amit's interest is films, and he hopes to become a master filmmaker by taking on various roles in the industry. This year, there are a lot of movies to look forward to in many forms. Amit talks about his experience with t2.

You have spent a great deal of time working in the Indian film business. How did this adventure begin?


Since my early years, I have always had a strong artistic bent. My maternal uncle, Ravindra Jain, was a well-known music director as well as a folk and devotional performer. I used to spend a lot of time with individuals in the music business and had the opportunity of going to concerts and recording sessions. Later, in college, I became interested in animation and audio-visual technology, which ultimately led me to discover the route that would lead to my job in advertising, followed by editing and production for cinema and television.

As a producer, your first Bengali production was Astra, on which you originally worked as an editor and technical director. How did it come about?

I never imagined that I would be a film producer. I became a professional who could contribute both technically and artistically because I was interested in the technical aspect of it. But I felt like I had a chance while I was working and interacting with individuals in the production. Why not attempt to make a film now that I am knowledgeable about every aspect of production? And Astra occurred because I was stationed in Calcutta at the time.

You're returning to Bengali cinema after an extended absence. Why are you making this return, and what are your goals for this business going forward?

It was not a calculated move. In Hindi film at the time, I had more possibilities. In terms of the Bengali box office at the time, the market was also not very sensible. However, I've always secretly desired to work on Bengali movies. This is where I was born and raised. I have to admit that Raajhorshee De is one of the most gifted filmmakers of our day, and I will be presenting Sada Ronger Prithibi. He gave me a quick rundown of the screenplay over coffee, and it really affected me since I think widow trafficking is a topic that needs more attention. When he kindly offered to let me introduce the movie, I felt that this would be my chance to make a return in Bengali cinema, as the movie opens this month.

Regarding Hemanter Aparanha, Ashokeda (Viswanathan) and I have known one other for over ten years since I have edited his documentaries, corporate videos, and movie trailers. He has also appeared in my first Bengali film, Astra. He invited me to join as one of the producers and a presenter as we had previously collaborated and got along well. The movie is now playing at festivals and is ready for distribution. At KIFF, we had a fantastic reception (Kolkata International Film Festival).

You released M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story's first glimpse. What caused it, and why did you leave the project?

I adore both M.S. Dhoni and cricket. I was very inspired by his brilliance, hardship, perseverance, patience, and achievement. 2015 saw a rise in the popularity of biopics in Hindi film. When the notion of filming an MSD movie came up one day in Mumbai while talking about biopics with one of my friends who is a producer, that's when I decided to contact MSD. I soon got to know MSD's buddy Arun Pandeyji, who turned out to be a great friend and my co-star in the movie. He was crucial in persuading MSD. We tried our hand at releasing the initial look, and since he was still playing and a living figure in the world of sports, we had an amazing reaction. This was my first large-scale, well funded Hindi film, even though I had previously begun work on another project. It was a smart move for me to leave the project at that point since I was a rookie producer. My partner and I had discussions with Fox Star, and they expressed a desire to acquire the picture post-production. Large studios are better equipped to handle foreign distribution of a film. I left the project amicably and on good terms. Sometimes you see a dream and tell someone about it, but when that dream is realized by someone else, you get to enjoy the process since you were part of making it happen.

Then what occurred in Simran?

Yes, Hansal Mehta directed it, and I produced Simran. T-Series was present as well. Starting with a major production gives you the chance to work on a growing number of movies and increases your visibility. Since I was well-liked in the industry, it was simple for me to present myself to Simran as a producer.

Give us some background about Raahgir.

I will always have a special place in my heart for the movie Raahgir. It's a pleasure to collaborate with a seasoned and ardent filmmaker like Goutamda (Goutam Ghose). Since seeing his film Paar, I have been a fan of his. Our original idea was to collaborate on a Bengali movie, but during the talks, he presented me with Raahgir, which is based on Prafulla Roy's Brishtir Ek Din. As the movie needed to be filmed during the monsoon, which was just two months away, he said that he preferred to work on Raahgir first. It is a tale of sacrifice and humanity that is very pertinent to the modern world as we have become so egotistical and have forgotten what it is to be human.

Raahgir was produced during the Covid era, and thereafter, the market dynamics underwent a significant shift that posed challenges for independent producers such as me. Nevertheless, being an optimistic person, I can guarantee that great things are ahead for Raahgir. We had a great festival run after COVID, and it continues today.

In addition, you are the director of the animated movie Ajooba.

I have always been interested in animation, but in the early years of my work, I decided to focus more on the technical side of things since I was more skilled at it and needed to establish myself first. I eventually began working as a technical director and editor, and I used to receive animation jobs all the time. I used to love working on such projects. I recall accepting a challenge for a Doordarshan production called Nidhiram, which combined 2D and live-action animation. In my capacity as an animation supervisor, my team and I successfully completed the animation portion. I'm not a cartoonist. Ajooba is one of the numerous IPs and concepts I have produced to date while working as a professional animator. I used to set aside time to focus on my animation ideas. We are now working on VFX for Ajooba, with a release date of Children's Day in 2024 planned. As an animation director, I want to further explore my other ideas beyond Ajooba.

Many of the Hindi movies you have made were created in Calcutta. Did you have any difficulties?

As long as one works in the film industry, there will always be challenges. It makes no difference where one is based; the process of creating a film is determined by the topic and the director's perspective. I've been employed in Mumbai and Calcutta. I was the technical director of the Bengali film Trishna (2007), which I believe was the first large-scale Bengali film in digital format, and I edited my home-produced Bengali film Astra. That was a rather difficult task back then, but I rose to the occasion and completed it effectively. Since theaters at the time lacked digital projection equipment and one had to convert digital data back to negative or positive in order to project it in theaters, I recall persuading director Pritam Jalan to shoot the movie using a varicam (a digital camera) and assuring him of the highest quality in digital output and reverse telecine (the process of converting digital data to negative again). In addition, I brought Bengaluru's first Da Vinci DI (color grading) setup. Making a movie is an art, in my opinion. For me, it's an adventure, and producing films involves accepting obstacles.

You said that you consider film production to be an art. As a producer, how significant is the commercial component in relation to the content?

Making movies is a labor of love that requires financial support in order to continue. You have to know your director well in order to be a genuine producer. Although you don't have to be an expert, you should understand the creative and technical processes involved in filmmaking as they apply to all businesses.

Thus, I believe it is necessary to comprehend both the art of marketing art and the art of filmmaking. Developing a plan to recover the funds is crucial. In this business, nobody can promise returns, no matter how prominent a director is. It's not a poor movie if they don't get their money back. A good movie could not do well, and a terrible movie might be a huge blockbuster. To survive, we must have a financially feasible plan that we are constantly adapting to changing conditions. The greatest aspect is that there is a ton of opportunity to monetize all sorts of movies these days.

Which type of movies would you wish to work on in the future?

The topic need to be distinct. In my opinion, producers have an obligation to promote quality material. Content these days is hard to come by. My pals in the Bengali business and I have conversations on how OTT is repeating material. I think we should read more literary works. For that, we have an audience.

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