The Bengali film industry is accustomed to scandals, but Durgapur Junction—a crass, small-town drama—has unleashed far more than bitterness. Complaints of exploitation on set, unpaid wages, and creative differences have accompanied it to its release. At the center of it all? Madhubanti Mukherjee, the associate director of the film, who spilled the beans on the venture with her no-holds-barred Instagram posts.
In an untamed interview with Edinbox, Mukherjee—a veteran AD who has collaborated with legends like Rituparno Ghosh and Aparna Sen—brings up the Durgapur Junction fiasco, the toxic Bengali cinema hierarchy, and why she just can't help making movies, despite the "betrayals."
"I WAS TOLD HOW WOULD I PROVE THAT THE PRODUCER HAD PROMISED ME THE SAID AMOUNT, WHATSAPP CHAT IS NOT VALID IN THE EYES OF LAW—SO I REFUSED TO STAY SILENT
Nibedita: Durgapur Junction was meant to be a path-breaking film. Instead, it is now infamous for crew grievances. You had publicly objected to the production. What was the situation?
Madhubanti: Firstly, when I had signed the project as the chief AD, the directorial team was different, and the shoot dates were different. Due to various actors’ dates and other logistical problems, the shoot dates had been postponed, increasing the days of my involvement. For this, the director-producer had added a small amount of token to the original agreement. When I repeatedly asked for the updated MOU, he avoided it, and it was my foolishness to have believed him and started the work without the updated contract.
After getting the script, I told the director that there are major loopholes that need to be fixed and justified. He said he was working on it. Three days before the shoot, we got the script without any changes, so I sat with my team and the DOP at his place, worked almost the whole day and night for these three days, and somehow managed to fix the loopholes (which I didn’t sign for nor charged for).
After reaching Durgapur with 80 cast and crew members, I got to know the day before the shoot that there was no police permission and that we couldn’t shoot. We had great managers, so this issue was handled by them.
Then, from the second day of the shoot, I started realizing that the director doesn’t know the basics of filmmaking. It’s like a painter not knowing the difference between a pen and a knife.
So, along with my assistants, the DOP, and even the actors, we took it upon ourselves to finish the shoot. The climax of the film was drafted by the actors, and when we were shooting the most crucial part of the film, the director-producer was sleeping.
I wouldn’t have said any of these things; every shoot is chaotic. But even after all the hard work, when he denied paying the promised remuneration, I couldn’t accept it. Moreover, when I asked for my dues, he said, ‘How will you prove that I said I would pay you this amount? WhatsApp chat is not valid in the eyes of law.’ So, when someone not just denies but threatens you to take you to court for asking for your due remuneration, it tells a lot about that person.
Later, when I raised this issue on social media, he made sure no one talked about it, paying people off to keep this at bay, and none of the unit members spoke about it except Swastika Mukherjee. The DOP told me that he wants to concentrate on the promotion and doesn’t want to get into this. I understand everybody’s stand except the director’s. He issues a false statement to the press that I was lying and that none of my payment is due, and everybody believes him, stops talking about it, and now the film is out of the theaters. What can I say? Every dog has his day.
Nibedita: You've been in the industry for over a decade. Was this the worst experience?
Madhubanti: Worst? No. The final straw? Yes. There have been instances before when my dues weren’t fully paid, but no one threatened me for asking for payments. I never spoke about it; I’ve worked with many directors. Then why would I point Arindam Bhattacharya out? Because he is not a director. He’s a chartered accountant who has many contacts, so he gets to fulfill his desire of calling himself a director. This film was not directed by him because he doesn’t know the head or tail of cinema or filmmaking. Yes, he had worked hard in assembling a team who would do his work. Even in his other films, the same things happen. He has money, so he shuts people off, and there is no unity in our industry. If you ask the crew members of Shibpur, his previous film, you’ll know. Parambrata Chatterjee was not just an actor in that film.
"BENGAL CINEMA HAS A CASTE SYSTEM—AND IF YOU'RE NOT AT THE TOP, YOU'RE INVISIBLE"
Nibedita: You've worked in Mumbai and Kolkata as well. How do you compare the two?
Madhubanti: The main difference is in professionalism and discipline. I have worked on a couple of Hindi projects; there, you do what you signed for; you don’t have to do five people’s jobs and get paid for one, unlike Kolkata.
In Mumbai, the hierarchy with food is not there. Here? The hierarchy system starts with the size of the tea cup. Also, a junior technician can’t get coffee; that’s exclusively for the HODs.
Nibedita: Can it change?
Madhubanti: It’s difficult to say right now; firstly, the work mentality needs to change. Some senior technicians have this mentality that the juniors should also face what they had faced when they were new. Also, the budget is a major issue in Bengali films. There are some very deep-rooted problems which I hope change eventually.
"CINEMA IS AN ADDICTION—ONE THAT BREAKS YOU BEFORE IT LOVES YOU BACK"
Nibedita: After all this, why stay?
Madhubanti: (pauses) Because when the camera comes on, and the scene registers… there's nothing quite like it. I detest this industry at times. But I'm hooked on the madness. One should just concentrate on the craft; everything else falls aside. Also, I chose to do this; no one forced me to take this up as a profession. When you see your creation come alive on screen, it’s a different kind of happiness.
Nibedita: Your advice to those who aspire to be filmmakers?
Madhubanti: Pick up a technical skill—cinematography, editing, sound, anything. Though it is teamwork, a good director should have knowledge about every aspect of filmmaking. Watching different kinds of films by various directors all over the world is a good way of learning. Reading world literature can help. Cinema has a language of its own; when I was in the institute, I would watch 5-6 films a day. Even now, if I get a chance, I could just watch movies all day. But the actual learning happens on set. Managing the crew, working on restricted budgets, not getting what you require for the scene are common problems that every director has to face.
If someone is really passionate about a story they want to narrate, just take a camera and start shooting; everything else will fall into place. AND NEVER AGREE TO SHOOT A FILM WITHOUT A STAMP PAPER CONTRACT. Hahahaaha.
THE AFTERMATH
Since our interview, Durgapur Junction makers have put out a statement denying allegations, calling them "miscommunications." Meanwhile, Mukherjee's expose has lit up Tollywood, with quite a few members of the team now stepping forward with their own stories under #PayThemBengal.
Whatever the truth, one thing is certain: behind every cinematic illusion, there’s a battle that occurs in the shadows. And Madhubanti Mukherjee? She’s battled enough silently.
