Chattopadhyay shot real puja for 'Sonagachi'

NEW DELHI: Bengali filmmaker Sudipto Chattopadhyay shot a scene at an actual Durga Puja pandal in Kolkata to bring a sense of authenticity to his forthcoming film "Sonagachi", which revolves around the lives of prostitutes working in the maze of back alleys scattered around the city's red light district.

"After shooting at the actual location, the scene looks so natural. The crowd and the puja have added authenticity to the film," said Chattopadhyay, who has also made the yet-to be-released "Pankh".

A source close to the film added: "Durga puja is an important part of the film. Sudipto thought that rather than hiring junior artistes and creating an artificial set that would cost the company a lot of money, why not shoot at the actual location in Kolkata, which will be live and real."

"Sonagachi", produced by Sanjay Gupta's White Feather Films, stars actresses like Indrani Haldar and Rupa Ganguly.