Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury, who is known for exploring the intricacies of human relationships in National Award-winning Bengali films Anuranan and Antaheen, makes his Bollywood debut with Pink. Jolly and open-minded, Tony Da, as he is fondly called, wears many hats with ease. Apart from being a director, he is also an actor and a sarod player. As we settle down for the interview, he tells me that he watches at least one movie every day, listens to classical music, sits idle for two hours each morning to admire his vast collection of paintings (his sole investment) and discover something new in them. He reveals how all his films are a state of his mind and why he thinks filmmaking is similar to making babies!

As compared to Bollywood, Bengali cinema is more aesthetically-inclined. How did you traverse the boundaries while directing Pink?
Every film has its own language. When I started this project, I wanted it to be slightly commercial. But both my producers - Shoojit Sircar and Ronnie Lahiri - advised me against it. They wanted the movie to be truthful. All of us come from humble, middle-class backgrounds and the only thing that remains of us in this glossy world of movies is our integrity which needs to reflect in our work. When I make a movie, I'm so engrossed with it that I don't think much about the audience. For me, it's like making a baby. How can you think of other things like morals or financial status while doing that? I equate them both with nirvana. When I'm doing a Bengali film, I know the nuances and the language. I chose Delhi as the backdrop for Pink because I'm familiar with that city. Besides, Shoojit and Ronnie were always by my side. My only challenge was to converse with my cast and crew in Hindi.

Every form of performing art is an artiste's expression. Did this film stem from your personal experiences?
The germ of this idea came five years ago when apart from the media, even discussions with my friends and family centered only on crime against women. Even though it's not my business, I would feel humiliated. I loathe moral policing. Who am I to decide on your behalf what clothes you should wear and who you should hang out with? It's my problem if I react to it and my upbringing needs to be in check. Personally, I have a liberal outlook, which implies for my wife and daughter. Pink is my reaction to all these emotions that I strongly feel. Even while shooting, I went through an emotional turmoil and sleepless nights. But it has been a heartfelt experience and has given me a deep creative satisfaction. I can't have a one-night stand with my movies; I need to fall in love with them. That's the reason I don't work on too many films at one go.

How was it working with Amitabh Bachchan? Was it easy to convince him to play the part?
Absolutely. I had my share of uncertain ties when Shoojit took us for the meeting. But post the narration, when he agreed to do the film, we were jumping with joy. All this while, he's been like the head of the family - sheltering, and nurturing a film like this. I obviously had to do my homework with Shoojit being my coach. But it all happened organically and I'm happy with the end result.

Given that the movie is on a hard-hitting subject, did you face any problems with the Censor Board?
Not at all. I don't know why they have been so stringent and uptight in the recent past. As our story is based on everyday, true incidents, they didn't raise any objections.

How did your affair with cinema begin and what dominates your filmmaking style?
My father was a Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) member. I grew up in Tollygunge, Kolkata, during the '70s and witnessed the turmoil, closely. When I was five, I accompanied my dad to buy some comics when we saw an old man being beaten up. When my father intervened, the perpetrator pointed a gun towards him and later, our house was bombed. We moved to my aunt's place. When I was in class 10, my school screened The Virgin Spring. It was the first European film that I watched. After that, I started watching a lot of movies and learnt a lot from them. I grew up on a heavy dose of Satyajit Ray, Mrinal Sen, Bollywood films and European films, which were screened at various clubs and festivals in Kolkata. Gradually, cinema became my passion. Later, I did some theatre, made a few short films while studying, got into advertising, saved money and produced my first film.

Did your advertising background act as a catalyst?
The most important thing that it has taught me is discipline and the beauty of storytelling in 10 to 30 seconds. Also, film marketing as a tactic has helped me a lot. For regional films, the budget is quite low and if I can fit a brand in a frame without destroying its theme, why not?