Ashoke on 'Gumshuda'

You give away most of the clues at the very beginning...

The clues are there in the book (The Sign of Four) too. It was done for two reasons — to help the audience and at the same time to distract them in a kind of Hitchcockian way. It’s a tale told in reverse.

But doesn’t that weaken the thrill factor?

I think it’s fine. Gumshuda is not a thriller but a subtle exploration of the human psyche. It’s not a whodunnit but a ‘howdunnit’ with a series of dreams within a dream.

Why do you think the dream sequences were necessary?

When a historical event is being told, the ones listening become a part of the history. That’s why Prashant (Rajit) becomes Maharaja of Sitamgarh and Arvind (Priyanshu) becomes Achmet. I think these dream-like situations raise the film from being just a thriller. The original text has the flashback aspect but not dreams. The dreams are symbolic of the past and also reflect how Prashant’s mind is working its way around the case. It’s as important as the flashbacks.

At times Rajit Kapur seems a little over the top as the sleuth...

I don’t think so. It’s his idiosyncratic nature and it acts as a perfect foil for his assistant Arvind, who is subtler and wittier. I think it works well; Prashant and Arvind have a good chemistry.

Why didn’t you develop the Anisha-Arvind relationship?

Because it would have deflected from the plot. When a crisis occurs, Anisha (Simone) and Arvind come together in a mature way. There are also some funny moments. All the signals are there but not everything needs to be underlined. They come close, that’s all. I think their relationship is well-defined.

The film has an 80s look and feel. Was that deliberate?

It is at times, but it’s also a bit postmodern. There’s trance music as well as a retro touch. The song Dhundo (composed by Bickram Ghosh) is very rock and layered. So it is 80s in parts and part-contemporary. The editing, cuts and camera movements are not 80s at all, they are very 21st century. It moves back and forth in time.

Why the long poetry recitation when Prashant and Anisha go visiting the Dutt house in Shillong?

That strange house with its gothic structure conjures that feeling. I used some lines from Walter de la Mare’s The Listeners to create a mood. I’ve also used chants and whispers to create a thin line between what is real and what is not. The idea came to me while I was travelling by train once and there was a priest next to me who kept chanting from the Bible. There was something disconcerting in it. I had also used it in Shunyo Theke Shuru.

We hear your voice in several places — the recitation, as a convict in the jail and a newsreader...

Yes, I have dubbed maybe in two or three places but if it jars I have to admit it’s a flaw in the film. I should have changed my voice sufficiently.

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