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Moreover, for the first time Dileep and Meera Jasmine are featuring in his movie. Unlike his earlier films, which were set against a Kerala background, and told us son-of-the-soil stories, the director, this time, takes you to Kolkata, where he unveils a young, fashionable, investigative television journalist, Ajith Thomas, as the hero. It’s about the changes a girl Krishnapriya, who loses her husband after circumstances bring the couple from Kerala to Kolkata, brings about in the life of Ajith.

On a wider canvas, Blessy narrates a story full of love, music and suspense. “What is different about this movie is its style of narration. It will be a novel experience as far Malayalam cinema is concerned. While words convey the realistic elements, the drama is revealed mostly through visuals, with cinematography and editing as the key tools.

Blessy has worked alongside lens man S. Kumar in four movies under Padmarajan, Venu Nagavally and Jayaraj, and in ‘Calcutta News,’ Kumar gets enough opportunities to experiment with, as the treatment of the theme demands it. “We spent almost a week discussing its cinematography alone, before leaving for Kolkata. His efforts are sure to bring him appreciation. And to add to it, he was just brilliant in absorbing the romantic beauty of the city.”

Why Kolkata as the location of the film? “Kolkata is a metropolitan city with a quaint colonial hangover, and one that earnestly tries to retain its nostalgic elements. It has produced legends and celebrities. Also, the people there continue to remain a bit laidback, amidst all the hustle and bustle of a city. Then there are the trams, rikshawwallahs and so on which give the city an identity. All these offer a lot of visual possibilities. But why not any other city and only Kolkata should remain a suspense,” says Blessy.

It will be the first Malayalam movie to be shot almost extensively in Kolkata. The film also introduces a new music director to Malayalam cinema, Debjyoti Misra. “He has done a brilliant job. There are six songs, including one in Bengali, which accompanies the title. I believe, with this work, he can proudly present himself in Kerala as the protégé of the great Salil Chowdhury. He was supposed to score the background music as well. But now that is being done by Ouseppachan.

What about the performance of Dileep and Meera Jasmine? “Ajith, a modern-day youth, is a character that offers great scope and Dileep has come up with a nuanced performance. It will be one of his best roles. Meera’s Krishnapriya is equally strong. In fact the story is centred around her, and she has been a consistent performer.”

The cast includes Indrajith, who plays Meera’s husband; Innocent, who is the president of the Kairali Samajam in the city; Vimala Raman and Manasa, who are Dileep’s colleagues; Bindu Panicker and a host of actors from West Bengal.

Blessy, however, rubbished reports that the cost of the film had crossed Rs. six crore. “It’s sad that news like these get published. There were a few hiccups like the MACTA strike, and the unexpected rain and flooding in Kolkata that delayed the shooting. But the figures mentioned are totally wrong.”

New projects? “Not finalised yet, but it’s almost sure that my next film is one with Mohanlal playing the lead role of a street magician. It will be produced by Ragam Movies, who were the producers of many films, including Padmarajan’s ‘Namukku Parkkan Munthiri Thoppukal.’

“I made my debut as an assistant director in that film. Now the banner has expressed interest in producing my next film,” says Blessy.

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