Sentimentaaal Journey: From Productions to Emotions

A few months ago Yash Daasguptaa and Nussrat Jahan turned producers and launched their production house YD Films. From the pre-production to the shoot and post-production, the journey of the first film (Sentimentaaal) from their production house went off smoothly. Little did they know that the last two weeks before the release of the film would give them "sleepless nights".

"It has been exciting, exhilarating... but there has been a lot of pressure. One has to look after so many departments as producers. All the departments are interconnected... and if there is one glitch in one department, all the others will be affected too. We had to monitor everything, keep the morale high and get everything ready on time. We were also busy with promotions, but that was the easiest till now," said Yash and Nussrat. A t2 chat...

The film was earlier called Mentaaal. Why was the name changed to Sentimentaaal, two days before the release?

Yash: Mentaaal is a popular, fun colloquial term used in the suburbs. One person would tease the other by saying, 'Are you mental?' There is nothing related to mental health... and we didn't have any intention of offending anyone here. That's why we decided on the name Mentaaal, which was also a trending one.Nussrat: When the film reached the censor board, the authorities there had a suggestion; they wanted us to release the film in the theatres with a different name. They were very supportive. As responsible citizens, we don't want to hurt anyone's sentiments. No one should get offended. It is a feel-good film. All of us became very sentimental at that moment. And that's why we have named it Sentimentaaal. The film is for the people.

What was the biggest challenge as producers?

Yash: From the inception to the release, there are various levels that you need to cross. Nussrat: We were stressed out because the censor of the film was kept on hold for five days. We saw the final preview on Wednesday, and we are quite happy with the outcome. See, it is not a socially relevant, soul-stirring film. It is a film where you don't need to put your brains into it. It is very pleasing to the eye. It gives you a good cinematic experience. When the film ends, you will walk out with a smile. It is an entertainer.

Why did you decide to start with a commercial film?

Yash: We are products of commercial cinema. Mainstream cinema has a special place in our hearts. In the future, we will come up with different subjects and a variety of films but the first one we felt should be an out-and-out massy film.Nussrat: It was never based on economics and logic. It was made with a lot of passion. It was an emotional decision. We have films with very good content in Bengal but they are not very massy ones. Bengal has a base for culture and literature. The urban content always attracts a lot of attention. But in the meantime, we missed out on the massy mainstream cinema. I know only Jeetda who is still making commercial cinema in Bengal. He has been the flagbearer of commercial cinema. We need more, and we have just joined in. This year, we see commercial films like Dev's Khadhan and Ankush's Mirza in production. I am happy that the audience will get the kind of relief that they earlier used to get from our films.

Both of you visited a lot of colleges for promotions...

Yash: The future is in the hands of the young. We want to make films that will intrigue the youngsters today. They might watch an intellectually strong film but at the same time, youngsters like to dance and have a great time at weddings.Nussrat: We have travelled to the interiors of Bengal and we have seen and heard people playing our old hit film songs. They want to see a hero and heroine who are larger than life. Any industry needs both kinds of films, be it urban or commercial.

Nussrat, a large part of the film was shot in your constituency, Basirhat...

Nussrat: Taki is such a beautiful place. We have always seen films set in Bolpur or in other suburbs. But the landscape of Taki hasn't been explored in our films. People go there on weekends but not many have seen it on screen. Which is why we decided to shoot the film there. Maybe after this film, you'll have more tourists visiting the place. It will make me very happy.

What is the goal of YD Films?

Yash: This industry has given us a lot. Whatever we are today... we have reached here because of the love from our industry and fans. It is time for us to give back something to the industry. We understand cinema... we know this space really well. And this is our genre. So it was a conscious decision. We followed our hearts. Nussrat: Yash always had faith in me as a producer. He says that I am quite a producer on set and he is very happy about that.

Yash plays a police officer in Sentimentaaal...

Nussrat: And he looks so handsome... extremely hot. He plays a quirky cop, very unpredictable... he is quite colourful in his own way. When he has to change because of his lady love he faces a lot of opposition. I play a school teacher... she lives by all things righteous. She can't live by anything that doesn't go by her dad's principles.

In your journey as producers, what were the lessons learnt?

Yash: We are learning something every day. Nussrat: There are so many people working on the film. We were not really aware of the amount of teamwork that goes into making a film. We are learning every day. We learnt that many stunt guys who do fight scenes are out of work because we don't have so many fight scenes in Bengali films. Sentimentaaal is everyone's film and I say this with utmost humility. This film has made us more humble, and more grounded... and it has taught us a whole lot of patience.

What makes you sentimental?!

Nussrat: I am a sentimental person. I come across as someone who is very strong... but I am definitely driven by emotions. On a lighter note, my emotionally driven decisions have landed me in trouble so many times!

Yash: My children.

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