Bengali powerhouse Konkona Sen Sharma is all set to return with a directorial venture after two long years and will be spinning the life story on Arati Das, Kolkata’s first Cabaret dancer. The web series will be shot in the backdrop of Bengal in the 60s, throwing light on the political milieu and tales of diverse struggles.
Also known as ‘Queen of Cabaret’ and popular by the name Miss Shefali, Arati was one among the thousands of refugees fleeing Bangladesh during the partition. Her first performance as a Cabaret dancer was at the age of thirteen, when she decided to step on to the stage at the Lido Room at Firpo’s hotel to make a living. Soon she was a consistent face in numerous popular Bengali plays like Chowringhee, Rangini, Saheb Bibi Aur Ghulam and Samrat Sundari. Her spectacular Hawaiian dance with a touch of perfected belly dancing and Hula moves gained her a spot in two of Ray’s many legendary reels, Pratiwandi and Seemabaddha.
When asked about why Sharma was attracted to Arati’s life story she said, “It’s about the fascinating life of this extremely interesting and independent female protagonist which drew my interest. The whole era of post-partition and pre-liberalisation is unique. We are still in the process of finalising the cast and developing the script. It is going to be an interesting journey.” “From the time I left performing at Oberoi Grand in the 80s, a lot of people approached me for films. However, their movies were more about glitz and glamour and not about the struggles I faced in the profession. How I made my place in this harsh world should come through the in the films,” said Arati, when in an interview to the Telegraph.
At present, Das teaches hip-hop and salsa at her own dance school in Dum Dum. According to early reports, the shooting will commence by the beginning of the next year.
