Mamata Shankar collaborates with Martin Scorsese on father's film

Mumbai, Feb 17 (IANS) American filmmaker Martin C. Scorsese has shown a keen interest in revising and restoring legendary choreographer Uday Shankar's film Kalpana, the dancer's daughter and actor Mamata Shankar has said.

However, Mamata confesses she has not been as swift and professional in her dealings with Scorsese as she should have.

'He has indeed been very interested. But I've not been able to keep up the communication with Martin as much as I'd like to. I'm so busy with many different things. Apart from looking after my family and work I also have a mother (former danseuse Amala Shankar) who is over 90 years old,' she said.

However, the dancer-actor knows that 'all this is no excuse for putting behind a project as important as restoration of my father's film'.

'I feel it is a great responsibility that has been put forward for me. I can't thank Martin Scorsese enough for taking such keen interest in Kalpana,' said Mamata, who now intends to get the restoration work off the ground.

Mamata, a reputed actor in her own right, has just completed another Bengali film 'Abohoman' where her role is apparently based on the wife of legendary filmmaker Satyajit Ray.

'There are so many wives of directors who support and help their husband with the making of their films the way I'm supposed to have done in 'Abohoman' and there are directors who have had relationships with their actresses. I don't think 'Abohoman' is based on anyone's life or experience,' protests Mamata who has played the lead in three of Satyajit Ray's films 'Ganashatru', 'Shakha Proshakha' and 'Agantuk'.

Mamata's first feature film Mrinal Sen's 'Mrigaya' in 1976 was also her last Hindi film.

'After 'Mrigaya', I never got an offer in Hindi worth considering. Rather than do inconsequential roles I chose to stay away from Hindi cinema. My output in Bengali cinema too is sparse. I'm grateful to Rituparno Ghosh for giving me a role like 'Abohoman'. It gave me a chance to play a woman quite unlike any I've played so far. In most of my films I play women who are organised, formal and proper. In 'Abohoman', I'm quite scattered the way I'm in real life.'