Director Sangeeta Datta talks about on her Sharmila-Soha starrer 'Life Goes On'

Sharmila Tagore and Soha Ali Khan team up in London-based director Sangeeta Datta's English film Life Goes On. This is the first time the two will be seen playing mother-daughter on the big screen as well.

Datta, who has earlier directed shorts and docus makes her debut with the movie which releases this week.

The film, which has been on the festival circuit, sees a theatrical release long after its completion as we ask her...

Most filmmakers have shied away from releasing films during the ongoing cricket World Cup...
I know my project is out when things are hotting up in the World Cup. But from next month the scene will get crowded. Mine is a small project and we would get lost in the marketing blitzkrieg of the biggies. So we did not mind being out when there are not too many on the scene.

Is it based on your experiences as an immigrant in the UK...
I have penned what I see around me. It focuses on a Bengali couple and their daughters who are living in England. The film is told in flashback as the mother dies in the beginning of the movie. It is left to the father and his daughters to strike a balance in their relationship.

How easy or difficult was it to cast Sharmila-Soha?
I always had Sharmila in mind when I was casting and having worked with filmmakers in Kolkata, I had the accessibility to her.

Getting Soha on board...
As we got talking, we realised that Sharmila's daughter's role in the movie was akin to Soha. That's how we thought of her and she was on board.

The film is being released sans any fanfare...
We are having a premiere in Mumbai on Thursday with the cast. With our budget, we can't really make lavish plans.