Titled Joker, the 74-minute feature has been
officially selected for the 47th Moscow International Film Festival,
scheduled to premiere on April 22. The film is based on the real-life
story of Bagambar Bera, a professional clown from Nungi, a
suburban town near Kolkata, who performs at weddings, birthday parties, and
local fairs.
Produced
by Mohan Das of Eon Films & Sourish Dey of Shotcut Films, what makes this
film extraordinary isn't just its story—it’s how it's told. Unlike conventional
films, Joker uses an innovative technique that sets it apart—nearly 60,000
still photographs out of 84,046 photographs were used to create a
stop-motion narrative. Crafting an emotional mosaic of a performer’s life, it’s
a first for Indian and perhaps global cinema: A full-length feature to
employ this method, which offers a deeply textured portrayal of the
protagonist’s emotional journey made entirely without traditional videography.
“When I first met Bagambar while researching for a
documentary, he began sharing personal stories—his struggles, his craft, his
identity as a performer. I realised this needed to be more than a documentary.
It had to be a cinematic tribute,” said Dey, who also served as the film’s
editor, colourist, and screenwriter.
Reflecting on the project, Mohan Das shared, “While
Sourish was working on his earlier film Furut, he told me about his
concept for Joker. His choice to use stop-motion was not only artistic and
symbolic, but creative and meaningful as well. The still images reflect the
fragmented yet enduring spirit of a clown—frozen smiles, silent heartbreaks,
and an applause that quickly fades.”
Bagambar Bera, who once appeared in Buddhadeb Dasgupta’s Uttara and later in
Kaushik Ganguly’s Chhotoder Chhobi and Srijit Mukherji’s Dawshom
Awbotaar, has spent decades entertaining others with little recognition.
His performances, often inspired by Raj Kapoor’s iconic portrayal in Mera
Naam Joker, have always carried echoes of sorrow beneath the surface.
However, despite the film's international
recognition, Bera won’t be able to attend the festival—he doesn’t yet have a
passport. “I plan to apply for one soon. Maybe I can attend future
screenings. Some people around me know about the film, but most are still
unaware,” he added.
The film was shot over several weeks, with Pramit
Das as the principal photographer, supported by Pabel Das and Nilanjan
Karmakar. Daily shoots stretched up to nine hours to meticulously capture
the thousands of frames required for the unique visual format.
The upcoming Moscow screening of Joker
resonates powerfully with cinematic history. In 1972, Raj Kapoor sold the
Russian rights to Mera Naam Joker for Rs 15 lakh after it failed at the
Indian box office. The film went on to become a massive hit in the USSR,
grossing over Rs 17 crore, and cementing Kapoor’s legacy there.
Now, 53 years later, another “joker” from India is poised to leave his mark in Russia—this time, not as a legend, but as a man whose real-life story embodies the silent dignity of the clown.
