Now, a Bengali film themed on traditional fish curry

Kolkata: "Maccher Jhol", the traditional Bengali fish curry, plays a crucial role in director Pratim D Gupta's new film on mother-son bond. Veteran actress Mamta Shankar, Ritwik Chakraborty and Paoli Dam star in the movie. "It a tale of two generations, but not necessarily about the contrast in food habits.

It's more about the change in ideologies and how the old and the new look at life differently," Gupta told PTI. "'Maacher Jhol' also stands for Bengaliness, simplicity and is a representative of the basic necessities of life," he said. Asked if the film revolves around food, the director said, "Food is a big, big part of the film. There is a lot of cooking. So, it is certainly a food-themed film." He, however, said the film cannot be compared with Ray classics like 'Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne'.

Ritwik, who enacts the role of a chef with a fondness for the fish curry made by his mother, said, "Being a foodie, I always wanted to be part of a food film. And 'Maacher Jhol' satiates that hunger." Dam plays the ex-girlfriend of Ritwik's character while Arjun Chakraborty is in the role of a young newspaper journalist. "The film is largely an emotional drama with fun interludes and completely different from 'Shaheb Bibi Golaam”, Gupta said. "There's romance, there's heartbreak, there's drama. And of course, there's a lot of food."