'AHALYA'- Short thriller by Sujoy Ghosh

Sujoy Ghosh's 14-minute short, Ahalya, premieres today on YouTube. It reinterprets the legend of Ahalya who, according to Hindu mythology, was seduced by the King of Gods, Indra, cursed by her husband, Gautama Maharishi, for infidelity and liberated from his curse by Ram. Sujoy's kahaani revolves around the twisted relationships between three mysterious characters played by Radhika, Tota Roy Choudhury and Bengal's evergreen matinee idol, Soumitra Chatterjee. It was shot over three days in Kolkata.

Radhika had worked with the legendary actor earlier in a Bengali film, Rupkatha Noy. She admits she was too nervous then, focused on getting her lines in Bengali right, to enjoy the experience of working with the Dadasaheb Phalke awardee she recalls watching at a Satyajit Ray film fest during college. "I have fuzzy memories of Ghare-Baire and Aparajito. Sujoy told me that he was once Bengal's most eligible bachelor. Even at 80, Soumitrada is so handsome and charming, with a childlike energy and a smile which reaches his eyes," says Radhika, unwilling to talk about the shoot because it may give away the 'surprise' in the plot.

She, however, admits this time she was more at ease with the veteran actor whose cheery greeting on the first day boosted her confidence. "He was like a young friend. I hope we get a chance to do a third film and complete a hattrick," she signs off with a smile.