Ananyabrata Chakravorty and Nishu Dikshit : The Makers of Kaisi Ye Paheli
In this candid interview the makers of Kaisi Ye Paheli – Ananyabrata Chakravorty and Nishu Dikshit open up about the evolution of creative identity. Chakravorty, a novelist-turned director speaks about navigating the industry’s economic realities while Dikshit focuses on bringing his vision to life as the film’s producer.
In the volatile landscape of the Hindi film industry, the transition from “penning a story” to “calling the shots” is rarely a straight line. For Ananyabrata Chakravorty and Nishu Dikshit, the Director and Producer duo (also husband and wife) behind the mystery Kaisi Ye Paheli, the journey has been one of adaptation, necessity, and a deep-seated respect for the craft.
For Chakravorty, everything begins and ends with the written word. “I’m primarily a writer,” he explains. “That’s what I’ve learned and practiced for the longest time.” His journey started with childhood short stories, eventually culminating in his first novel, Split Second, published in 2014. Like Kaisi Ye Paheli, Split Second is a thriller and was well received.
However, the transition from novelist to filmmaker was a lesson in pragmatism for the debutant director. After realizing that a novel doesn’t automatically translate to a film and is difficult to pitch, he pivoted. He didn’t just want to tell stories; he wanted to understand the architecture of the medium. This led him to master the art of the screenplay.
Nishu Dikshit’s journey is a masterclass in adaptation, transitioning from an “army kid” who spent her childhood moving across the Northeast to becoming a producer dictated by need. Growing up in picturesque locations like Leh and Manali, where her father was posted while working in the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), she developed a keen sense of observation that later fuelled her artistic shift. Though she initially followed a traditional path as an engineer with an MBA, working at firms like Infosys and Deloitte, she eventually pivoted to full-time arts after realizing her corporate career felt unfulfilling.
Her background proved vital when she spearheaded a crowdfunding campaign for Kaisi Ye Paheli, raising ₹40 lakh in 40 days. Now balancing acting and producing, she views the latter as a “thankless” but deeply fulfilling role. The successful crowdfunding campaign was built on a community of friends, family, and former colleagues who believed in the project.
Beyond the finances, Dikshit managed the logistical complexities of filming in the challenging terrain of Ravangla, Sikkim, ensuring that the “land far from home” became a seamless backdrop for the mystery. “I knew nothing about being a producer,” Nishu admits with a laugh. “If one had asked me in 2022 what the job description of a producer was, I would probably only have had an actor’s gaze to it, having been on set as an actor. But I did not know that there are so many things one has to do; so many challenges… Nobody remembers you unless they need something from you, and if anything goes wrong, you are the one who will get the firing of the day. But it’s very, very fulfilling,” she smiles.
Alongside her, Ananyabrata Chakravorty draws on the legacy of his father, Shri Samit Chakravorty, whose dedicated work in the Postal Department was coupled with a profound love for theatre and cinema in Dibrugarh and Darbhanga. Chakravorty, for his part, does not view the move to the director’s chair as a career change, but as a logical extension of his writing.
While working as a creative director for a small production setup making short films and videos, he found his footing. “The direction bit was a natural progression from writing,” he notes. “When you’re writing a screenplay by yourself, the direction is already in there. What remains is to just convey that to the departments.”
The choice of actors for Kaisi Ye Paheli was a deliberate attempt to blend nostalgia with modern talent. The duo secured a “wishlist” cast and attribute the credit entirely to Deepak Agarwal, the casting director of the film. “Both of us,” recalls Chakravorty, “saw the characters in a similar way. And we have similar choices when it comes to who’s a good actor, who is a brilliant actor, and who we want to work with, so the wishlist was kind of a combination of both of us. And Deepak had the resources and the confidence to reach out to such great people like Rajat sir, Sukant Goel, Sadhana ma’am, and Chittranjan Sir.”
Sadhana Singh, best remembered for Nadiya Ke Paar, returns to the screen, bringing a nuanced “motherly charm” to her complex lead role in Kaisi…. Sukant, who has been seen in a variety of roles in the past—including a cameo in Kapoor & Sons, followed by Monica, O My Darling and the critically acclaimed web series Kaala Paani—anchors Kaisi… as the protagonist, Uttam. In a nod to his legendary past, Rajit Kapur returns to the role of a Bengali detective nearly three decades after his iconic turn as Byomkesh Bakshi. The surprising but entirely lovable character is that of Tamang Sir, essayed brilliantly by the seasoned actor Chittranjan Giri. In addition to playing producer, Nishu returned to the big screen in Kaisi… as Sukant’s love interest, Rasika—essaying the role with aplomb.
Unlike his passion for writing, acting was a response to the harsh economic climate of the industry post-lockdown. Chakravorty highlights a grim reality: “As an industry, the Hindi film industry doesn’t really respect writers, and they don’t pay writers as they should.” Watching his then-colleague and friend, Nishu, act and get paid inspired him to use auditions for ads as a necessary revenue stream. While he now enjoys long-form acting, he remains firm that it is “the farthest away” from his core identity.
It seems that while the path to Kaisi Ye Paheli was paved with adult pragmatism, the stage was set for both of them long before either of them knew about it.
What's Your Reaction?
