Creating the ambiance for Sisimpur

Sets of Sisimpur designed by Juisse

The film crew wanted a banyan tree with a large base of roots where people could gather and talk. "It is in 'Bakultala' or 'Botomul' where people come together, as we know," says Juisse. The buildings themselves, says Juisse, are a combination of Mughal and British designs interlaced with indigenous shapes and designs. There is a mudir dokan (tea-stall), which is made of tin-shed. There is also a mud hut, a replica of village homes. Apart from these are a two-storied house and some more modern homes. The tradition of having trees with the houses has been maintained.

"The readymade leaves did not suit us. We had to do some research and make these leaves with local materials. We printed paper, coloured them and turned them into leaves. The set is a permanent one and will work for years. The children viewing it will identify with it immediately. They know the different houses in which each of the characters, like Halum, Shiku, Tuktuki and Khalamoni live. Some of the characters are puppets and some are live characters. The programme began a year ago. The work took many months. Modifications are often made. Sometimes as much as 40 workers laboured on this set of 75 feet by 55 feet. This is kept in Film Development Corporation (FDC), while the acting is performed and presented on TV," says Juisse.

Asked to mention some aspects of his experience with the Sisimpur set designing, Juisse says that when he initially went in to work he was given some incorrect facts and figures about the area to be covered and this had created some initial problems. But this was eventually overcome.