It hasn’t been easy for the very talented Tannishtha Chatterjee to make her directorial debut, and that too with a film shot almost entirely in Rome.
Considering how expensive a city Rome is, how did she manage to shoot Roam Rome Mein in that city?
Tannishtha sighs, “I can’t tell you how tough it was. We were a tightly-knit team of dedicated soldiers. And we all pitched in on a war-footing. Everyone was doing everything on location. I was not just the director. I was also the handy girl, handling every problem, practical or emotional. I’ve come away very experienced and very exhausted from Rome.”
The super-talented Tannishtha, known for her powerful performances in Brick Lane, Dekh Indian Circus and Gulaab Gang, says she was very sure her directorial debut had to be shot in Rome. “Italy has an ancient history of fierce patriarchy. In the past women in Italy were not allowed to own expensive possessions. I wanted to locate my film in a society even more patriarchal than ours and one where women have a long history of protesting fighting and winning over the system.”
Tannishtha says hers is a feminist film and she is more than happy to have Nawazuddin Siddiqui on board. “We play siblings. Roam Rome Mein is the story of a brother searching for a sister. The film also has six very powerful Italian actors, names like Valentina Corti and Urbano Barnerini who are legends in their country. They agreed to come on board without bothering about their fees. They insisted on reading their lines for me. They felt that since this was my first film I should be absolutely sure about my actors. I was moved and encouraged by their humility and dedication.”
Tannishtha sees Roam Rome Mein as a labor of love. “Everyone co-operated. Only then could this film be made. I still don’t believe I actually managed to shoot in one of the most expensive cities in the world at such a shoestring budget. It isn’t short of a miracle.”
Roam Rome Mein is already being hailed as a significant directorial debut.
Says Tannishtha, “It was shown at the Busan International Film Festival and at the International Rome Film Festival. We got a really positive reaction to the film at both the venues.”
