Life and times of Rosogolla inventor N C Das set for screen debut

A feature film on the life and times of 'Rosogolla' inventor in Bengal, Nobin Chandra Das, in 19th century Kolkata as the backdrop, is set to hit the screens by this year-end. The Bengali film 'Rosogolla' seeks to capture the journey of Das, from a humble background to a business tycoon. Das had invented Rosogolla by dipping cotton cheese ball in sugary syrup (in 1868) after trying various combinations.

The film is being directed by Pavel and produced by Shiboprosad Mukhopadhyay and Nandita Roy, directors of a string of blockbusters. "Being a feature film, it is not a biopic. It is partly based on real-life events and there are some fictional accounts," the director told PTI. To recreate the settings perfectly, he studied the preserved works at the Victoria Memorial, including paintings by Thomas and William Daniels, Calcutta Gazette, besides works of researchers such as P T Nair and others, Pavel said.

Pavel said, "The film traces the journey of Das, who is the protagonist. It captures the discovery of the spongy syrupy sweet by him after months of efforts in 1868. It also focusses on the love life of a young Das." Das, also called 'Columbus of Rosogolla' in Kolkata, died in 1925 at the age of 80. "We will trace the life of Nobin Chandra Das from the age of six to 32-33. His childhood days and how he set up the first modest outlet in Kolkata and he came to be known as 'Nobin Moira'. "There will also be a reference to the sweet being first liked by a Marwari businessman who then spread word about the new sweet and there was no looking back for Das thereafter," Pavel said on the sidelines of an event where a corporate group announced presenting the film for audience. Contemporaries of Das who were also in the business - Bhola Moira, and Bhim Chandra Nag - will also be featured in the film.

"The 'Rosogolla Bhavan', ancestral place of the sweet maker's family in Baghbazar, will also come up," Pavel said. Asked about the response of the family of K C Das, Nobin Chandra's successor and owners of one of the leading sweetmeat chains in the country, the director said, "After hearing the story they were very very encouraging from day one. The family of K C Das is happy that we are making the film."

Asked if he was inspired to do the film after Bengal got the GI tag for 'Banglar Rosogolla', Pavel said "On the contrary I had made up my mind to do a feature film on the Rosogolla maker in early 2016 and then started doing research and writing the script. I am thankful that Shiboprosad Mukhopadhyay and Nandita Roy kept faith in me." After completing research, the shooting began and the film is now slated for release by this December, he said. "We did not interfere in his shoots. There is no Shiboprosad-Nandita Film School and we give complete freedom to directors working with our production house. Pavel is a better director than me," Shiboprosad said.

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