An Interview with Anjan Dutta

An eminent name in the arena of music, composition, acting, movie-making Anjan Dutta has started his journey by winning a prestigious award at Venice Film Festival for his acting in Mrinal Sen’s ‘Chalochitro’. Notwithstanding his preoccupation with acting, movie making and singing, the rebel with a guitar – Anjan Dutta has always been a travel lover.    On a lazy evening relaxing at his 100-year-old bungalow, Dutta spoke to us about his journey, struggling days and memories of travel around the world. 

• On growing up as a Traveler

I remember my early childhood in the Queen of the Hills –Darjeeling where I was sent at the age of six. So, like many of us, I did not grow up in a typical urban location and ‘homely’ environment; rather I found myself blooming in a tourist destination. It was a boarding school and surrounded by trees, birds and mountains. I believe nature played a part in my growing up right from my childhood.

So, strange it may sound, but, when I came back to (then) Calcutta in the 1970s, I felt like an outsider. I started exploring Calcutta and started (re) discovering my city with new eyes. There was so much to learn –so much to explore about the city of joy rather than just ‘living’ there. Then came a crucial point in my life, when I had to leave for Berlin. In Berlin, I worked at a theater during 1984-85.  Since then life has taken me to various parts of Europe like Italy, Rome, Greece etc, and to the rest of the world.

Travel has been an integral part of my growing up from childhood to adulthood. My work with music and art has also helped me travel to wonderful destinations all over the globe.

• On the voyage & coming back to the roots

My wife Chanda Dutta is from Burma where she spent the early part of her life before leaving for Calcutta in the 1960s. I always wanted to travel to Burma (Now Myanmar) with my wife on a journey of nostalgia – a journey back to the roots (for her). During that time (post-90s) I started discovering South East Asia from Burma to Vietnam – various destinations.

I believe while it is important for every person to go out of his roots- out of his comfort zone to explore the unknown, to know various cultures, lifestyles and heritage, it is equally important for all to come back to roots. In fact, while you are away from the place called ‘home’ and experience the other places, you actually understand the various aspects and significance of your roots. From ‘Bong Connections’ to ‘Bow Barracks’, in most of my films, the protagonists are going out and experiencing a foreign culture only to return at the end, to re-discover the value of the motherland. The iconic movie of Satyajit Ray’s ‘Pother Panchali’ has the young Apu leaving his village Nischindapur to reach Banaras. He has chosen to lead a life of the unknown and less settling instead of following his father’s footsteps.

We all must take time out of our busy urban life to escape to nature. Be it a mountain, a forest, a desert, or a lonely beach- the serenity – the time spent with nature makes us introspect, helping us to decide about the next step in life. A good holiday would always help you decide what you want your ‘home’ to be like!

• On lessons from the Pandemic

Human civilization is going through one of the biggest crises in the form of Covid 19 Pandemic. The memory of pain, loss and suffering would remain with us for a long time to come. On the other hand, the pandemic has taught us a few lessons. It reiterates the fact that Nature is finally the most powerful. No matter what you do, you need to understand and respect nature. Immunity –the much talked about subject these days, comes from nature. Medicines can only support and supplement. We have seen, despite all the sadness around, the lockdown has made nature flourish. The birds are back, forests are greener, animals are roaming undisturbed, and the sky is cleaner again. It taught us the futility of a self-centered lifestyle and how important the basic things in life like sharing, meeting and talking to people, helping each other, travelling. I would always prefer to go out to a small drive, a nearby village, or the nearest sea beaches avoiding crowds, rather than sitting at home ordering unhealthy foods, watching negative news on the TV, late night movies on  OTT on my mobile. Travel of any form is the best medicine for depression, especially in these days of extreme stress.

•  On travel Solo & creativity

I generally prefer traveling alone or in some rare cases, with like-minded friends. Even when I go with my work group to various destinations, more often than not, after the shoots, I go for a lonely walk or explore the location all alone. I have never written a script sitting in Calcutta or at home. I always go out to some outdoor locations, often to strange -unknown places, to make final drafts of my scripts. Travel, music and my writings are all inseparable from each other, and I always find these works together to bring out the best creativity.

• On travel & food

I find it extremely fascinating to experience the different types of food while traveling. One should be open to experimenting with local and indigenous foods. You don’t go to Goa to eat biryani!

•  On future project

In the near future, I would like to do a project based on the issues of the environment. Once we are adjusted to the Covid situation, I would like to go out to places, follow the trails of nature, with my camera, and talk about environmental issues without lecturing people.  I would finally launch it on the OTT platform. It would be all about travel and understanding the importance of the environment and nature.

Travel  “opens up your mind to an extent that helps you rise beyond the vices like racism and casteism. Going to a church or temple etc may be important, but for me, traveling helps me to achieve the same sense of enlightenment and freedom of soul.”

 I would like to end with a memory of one of my travel experiences. It was all for a trip to Vatican City for a long-cherished wish to see Michelangelo’s Painting of the Sistine Chapel. On that lucky day, finally, I found myself standing in a room looking at the amazing piece of art along with a group of people with eyes of awe and admiration.  As I kept studying the art, I still don’t know exactly what and why it happened, but, suddenly it transported me to a world of truth & realization – it elevated my thoughts to another dimension. Those twenty-five minutes it was not Michelangelo’s work that I was looking at, but I found myself thinking of works of Satyajit Ray, Tagore, Ravi Shankar, Beatles ….all the great legends from the history of the world literature and art and the realization of my own existence as a tiny planet in the universe or a galaxy of huge stars – suddenly engulfed me. Tears must have rolled out of my eyes much to the bewilderment of the British woman standing next to me. That day I also promised myself that whatever it takes, I would never ever create anything distasteful.

 (The interview was taken on 10th June 2021, in Kolkata) 

Author: Anirban