Swastika Mukherjee and Jisshu Sengupta get ready for a take while director Manas Basu (centre) drums up some instructions. PHOTO BY ANIL GROVER

The title of his first feature film, Rudra The Fire, hardly bespeaks the blaze in writer-director Manas Basu’s personality which, in a gentle tone, could be described as mild mannered. That’s why, perhaps, the film is about a young music-loving lad who tries to form a band, and includes a Tagore song in its three numbers. That’s why, perhaps, you also have a puffed-chest production manager Amitava Sur, who tries to decide for himself who is boss on the set of debuting producer Arun Sahasaria and debuting director Manas Basu.

Rudra The Fire — does it ring a bell? Raj Kanwar’s Hindi film, Daag The Fire? Thankfully, only in its title — though why Bengali cinema should follow suit with such Anglo-Bangla is incomprehensible, one would think. But, then, aptly it also deals with a ‘Bangla band’.

Manas Basu tells the tale of a shy guy (Jisshu Sengupta) who loves music and tries to form a band, interestingly called, Vagaband, but due to some circumstances his life changes. He sets out on the inevitable bloody path to stop some goons and their activities.

Manas Basu instinctively blends into the background and we missed him clean in a crowd of artistes and crew while he was directing a ‘stage performance’ by Jisshu and Swastika in a college auditorium. Jisshu, of course, was in his element being a man of music in real life. With guitar in hand, or fooling around with the drums, his comfort zone was palpable. Swastika Mukherjee, looking svelte as ever, generated the simmer required.

And in no time, the false snowflakes fell all over Jisshu, Swastika, the guitar and drums and all over really. Christmas, at the time of shooting, may have been far away, but good that they raised the joyous spirits so early.