After 53 years, another ‘Joker’ goes to Moscow film festival
Times of India | 10 April 2025
Kolkata: In 1972, Raj Kapoor sold the Russian version of ‘Mera Naam Joker' (1970) to Russian distributors for Rs 15 lakh. The film, which was a huge flop in India, became a massive hit in Russia, earning Rs 17 crore at the box office. Now, 53 years later, another film, about the life of a joker, is headed to Russia again.
Sourish Dey's film, ‘Joker', based on the life of a man, who performs as a clown, has been selected for the 47th Moscow International Film Festival. This 74-minute film comprises nearly 60,000 still photos to tell the story without traditional videography, marking the first use of this technique in Indian cinema.
Dey met Bagambar Bera while planning a documentary about a joker who performs at weddings and birthday parties. "He shared stories of his life. I felt making a feature film to portray his struggle would be more interesting than a documentary," said Dey, who is also the film's editor, colourist and screenwriter.
Fifteen years ago, Bera first watched Raj Kapoor's film. He incorporated Kapoor's style into his own performances. Little did he ever imagine that one day, a film about him would reach Moscow. "When the director first approached me, I had doubts. Later, I gained confidence," he said. A resident of Nungi, Bera has acted in Buddhadeb Dasgupta's ‘Uttara', which featured scenes of dwarves in Purulia. He acted in Kaushik Ganguly's ‘Chhotoder Chhobi' and Srijit Mukherji's ‘Dawshom Awbotaar'.
Initially, the plan was to shoot the film with traditional videography. "But I felt it would be better if made with a stop-motion effect. It would give the audience a sense of the joker's struggle," the director said. Shooting lasted nine hours daily, with Pramit Das as the primary photographer, assisted by Pabel Das and Nilanjan Karmakar. The Moscow premiere, which Dey will attend, is slated for April 22. Bera doesn't have a passport yet. "I plan to get one so I can attend future screenings abroad. A few people here know my film is going to Moscow, but most are unaware," he said.