Indira Dhar Mukkherjee’s passion for filmmaking was kindled during her school days. “I grew up watching Satyajit Ray’s films. He has created some beautiful works for children, and my love for films blossomed from Ray’s works,” she recalls.
Indira adds, reminiscing about her childhood, “I studied at a Roman Catholic school in Kolkata. This meant that I had a 40-day Christmas holiday each year. I’d spend those days watching Chhuti Chhuti, a Bengali television series directed by Ray.”
As Indira grew older, she developed a keen interest in narrative structures and scriptwriting. This fascination led her to the beautiful world of theatre at the age of 11. “My school encouraged many extracurricular activities, which worked in my favour. I would write and direct plays and scripts,” she explains.
Today, Indira has carved a niche for herself as a filmmaker. Her debut film Putul — a powerful story about street children and societal double standards — earned international recognition, including a screening at the Cannes Film Festival. With new projects on the horizon, she aims to push boundaries with meaningful and authentic storytelling.
“At the age of five or six, I couldn’t have imagined I’d become a filmmaker,” she says, with a proud smile.
Coming from a family of scholars, lawyers, and businessmen, Indira’s passion for filmmaking introduced a completely new perspective to her family. “Since no one in my family had a media background, it was difficult for them to understand what I was doing and why,” she says.
Her first step into the film industry was as an actor. “When I was 19, I assisted someone on a project, and they offered me a role opposite Prosenjit Chatterjee, a superstar of Bengal,” she shares. This came as a golden opportunity, but Indira soon realised that her true calling lay elsewhere. “After doing the film, I noticed some issues with the script, and it made me reflect on what truly mattered to me. So despite getting a lot of offers, I decided to quit acting because my heart was set on scriptwriting.”
Indira shifted her entire focus to understanding scriptwriting step by step, as she believes that it forms the foundation of a film. “Regardless of the money invested or the cast, a flawed script will lead a film nowhere,” she emphasises.
A debut film’s long road to Cannes
It took Indira nearly eight years to bring her debut film, Putul, to life — a film that eventually made its way to the prestigious Cannes Film Festival. For five of those years, she immersed herself in painstaking research, driven by a singular goal: to do justice to the sensitive subject the film explores.
Putul tells the story of street children, a subject close to Indira’s heart. As a child, she often witnessed children begging on the streets — a stark contrast to the comfortable life she lived. Once, her mother had told her, “You have a privileged life; they don’t!” Those words struck a chord and stayed with her, shaping her perspective. Years later, they became the driving force behind her first film, which boldly explored the flawed standards of society.
To capture their lives authentically, Indira spent countless hours with them, listening to their stories and understanding the perspectives of their mothers. “No mother, not even one living on the streets, wants to sell her child. Instead, they do everything they can to nurture them in the best way possible,” she shares.
Indira offers a glimpse into her research journey, sharing how she balanced her career and motherhood. She used to take her five-year-old son, Kabir, everywhere she went. “I juggled between caring for my baby and my career. I’d meticulously prepare his baby food and keep it in a small tiffin (dabba), often rushing between meetings and script discussions.”
Indira believes that one needs to be a parent to truly understand a mother’s perspective — pure and unconditional. In fact, Kabir inspired her to frame the character of the film’s protagonist, Putul. “The relationship between Putul and her mother is like mine and Kabir’s — nothing can part us,” she says with deep emotion.
Motherhood has profoundly influenced Indira’s approach to filmmaking. “Every film is like my own child,” she says, adding that she now nurtures each project with the same maternal care.
The research, however, was only half the battle. As Indira recounts, the biggest challenge was securing funding. Indira admits she had to sell her jewellery to fund the project — an especially difficult decision as a single mother. “I have Kabir’s responsibilities on me, and I can’t take anything lightly,” she shares. “I’ve risked everything to make this film, and it feels worth it now that it’s on the road to success,” she says with pride.
Fortunately, Indira wasn’t entirely alone in her struggle. Sayan Ganguly, the film’s co-producer and music producer, recalls how the entire team came together to help. “Everyone contributed in whatever way they could. The musicians and technicians even donated a portion of their earnings to support the project,” he says.
Still, the journey was far from easy. “My struggles are similar to those of any other home-grown filmmaker — especially when you’re working on content like this. People talk a lot about supporting such stories but rarely step up to fund them.”
From her journey of hardships and resilience, Indira has reached a place where she now embraces challenges, determined to find solutions along the way. “I’ve been blessed by the Almighty with the courage to pursue a successful career,” she shares.
When Putul took over the spotlight
The making of Putul was an intense experience for everyone involved. “The crew worked tirelessly, often on the streets, to make this film what it is today,” says Indira. Looking back, she feels the struggles shaped her in ways she’ll always cherish. “The road wasn’t easy, but the depth of self-made success is something I’ll always carry with me.”
Indira and her team screened Putul at the prestigious 77th Cannes Film Festival’s Marché du Film (or Cannes Film Market). Though the film was screened out of competition, the response was moving. “I was emotionally overwhelmed and cried when I turned back to see the audience appreciating the film. Many international filmmakers and scriptwriters approached me to discuss it, as they wanted to know more about it,” shares Indira.
“Putul is a home-grown film with no foreign collaboration, and receiving a standing ovation during its screening in a mid-sized theatre was purely magical. Hearing praise from esteemed filmmakers like Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury and Margaret Zambonini, the managing director of Ardenslate (a script development company), was an unforgettable moment,” she adds.
Reflecting on the significance of the occasion, Indira shares, “When mainstream films with big stars were struggling at the box office, the seven Indian films screened at Cannes brought pride and joy to the country.”
It wasn’t just the films that represented India — Indira herself carried her culture to the global stage. “Indira being Indira, honoured her roots and culture even on an international stage like Cannes. She began her speech in Bangla before switching to English,” Sayan fondly recalls.
The film’s poster and teaser were also launched at Cannes, and Sayan recounts the surreal moment when A R Rahman promoted the film. “As someone from the music industry, having Rahman acknowledge a film you have worked on — one that has earned international acclaim — is surreal,” shares Sayan.
Sayan stood as a pillar of constant support throughout the film’s journey. “If I had to name one person who stood by me and my work, it would be Sayan,” says Indira. “Sometimes, the director, who is always acknowledging the efforts of the crew, needs appreciation too. Sayan has been instrumental in helping Putul achieve so much,” she shares.
As for what’s next, Indira is already working on a new Hindi project, a biopic featuring Divya Dutta and Neeraj Kabi, inspired by the works of legendary filmmaker Shyam Benegal. Meanwhile, Putul is set to be screened in the United States in December.
For aspiring filmmakers, Indira has some simple yet powerful advice: “Don’t let your background hold you back. If you want to be a filmmaker, don’t wait for the right moment. Just grab a camera, step out of your comfort zone, and start filming.”
Edited by Khushi Arora; All images courtesy Indira Dhar Mukkherjee
