Acclaimed Bengali cinema actor Parno Mittra is stepping behind the camera as a producer for the first time with “The Music Teacher,” a British-Indian short film starring Raima Sen that begins principal photography this month in Kolkata.
The project is co-produced by Tabernacle Street Films (U.K.) and Unscripted Co (India), the production banner Mittra is launching with this film. Written and directed by Shrimoyee Chakraborty, “The Music Teacher” is her first Bengali narrative film, following her documentary “Spirit of the Wildflower” and her work as creator and presenter of “India Bites.” Chakraborty also produces for Tabernacle Street Films, alongside Mittra’s producing role for Unscripted Co. Editor Aarti Bajaj, known for her work on “Jab We Met,” “Rockstar,” “Highway,” “Tamasha,” “Sacred Games,” “Jubilee” and “Amar Singh Chamkila,” comes aboard as co-producer.
Sen takes the title role, with Niranjan Mondal, who appeared in “Laughtersane,” rounding out the cast.
Inspired by Chakraborty’s mother, “The Music Teacher” is set in North Kolkata and centers on a young man struggling with depression who finds a path back to life through a teacher of Rabindra Sangeet, the genre of songs composed by Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore that remains central to Bengali culture. The film is billed as a tribute to Rabindra Sangeet and the educators who have preserved Bengal’s cultural heritage across generations, exploring resilience and human connection.
