Milk teeth: Many summers back I had gone to a restaurant in London’s Chinatown called Wong Kei, where the moment I entered, the waiter nearest to me shouted, “Downstairs!” As I grabbed a table, I saw other customers being greeted by a similar “Upstairs” or “Downstairs”. An idea was born in my head — a cinematic universe comprising two worlds — Upar and Neeche — that you can navigate through a manhole. And there was this other very kooky idea of an edgy love story between a dentist and a vampire. So one idea became the bread, the other became the meat and then I kept on adding the veggies and the sauces till it became the most scrumptious sandwich ever. The sandwich called Tooth Pari.
Incisors: I’m not a vampire film or vampire book fan at all. Haven’t seen The Vampire Diaries. Just one of the Twilight films. But weirdly, I had loved two films about vampires — Tomas Alfredson’s Swedish film Let the Right One In and Park Chan-wook’s Korean film Thirst. In both, vampires are treated like another species cohabiting with humans. The supernatural element is not in your face and that led to very strong drama, and the emotional core of the relationships was very strong. I approached the development and eventual writing of Tooth Pari on a similar note. They are just like us, just that they need to drink human blood to survive.
There is no vampire myth in India. And that gave me a free hand to subvert the Western concept of vampires by using their elements in an altogether new way. Whether it’s the elongated canine teeth, or the fear of garlic, or the problem with the sunlight, some of the famous vampire elements are there while other elements, like lack of reflections in mirrors and them turning into bats and the fear of the cross, are out. I believe what we have managed to pull off is a truly Indian show around a concept which has traditionally not been very Indian. Never does the show feel borrowed or adapted.
Premolar: I wanted to tell the story of a character who is torn between the two different worlds of the two different species. Because one species survives on the blood of the other, there is a huge ethical gap; a huge moral chasm. In order to bring that moral dilemma to the love story, we had to approach the story in a very realistic way, give it actual historical context, shoot on real locations and kind of blend the absurdity into the mainstream. And maybe that’s what sets it apart from other vampire films and shows and makes Tooth Pari feel so new, so fresh, so truly unique.
Molar: The world of Neeche where the vampire clan lives can be looked upon as this exclusive resort or also like a luxury prison. The fundamental truth about incarceration is always more psychological than physical. I like the motif of incarceration. That’s because these spaces are miniaturised universes in themselves. These are the spaces where existential circumstances that people face get revealed more clearly. Much like the way we dealt with the lockdowns during the many waves of Covid. There is a natural tendency to break the rule and start living a normal life. That’s what Rumi does. An act which has severe consequences.
But Rumi didn’t ask to become a vampire. Vampirism has befallen her. Her identity has become defined for her. Her choice was not involved in this process. Perhaps she could have just accepted her fate and become a ‘good’ vampire living by the law of the land of Neeche. Instead, Rumi turns into a rebel, almost a renegade, into a Baaghini. Also into the Pari the dentist ordered.
Canine tooth: The real bite of Tooth Pari is in the incredible ensemble cast and I’m not just talking about the main seven — Tanya Maniktala, Shantanu Maheshwari, Revathy, Sikandar Kher, Tillotama Shome, Saswata Chatterjee and Adil Hussain — but also the terrific Bengali actors from Kolkata — Anindita Bose, Rajatava Datta, Swaroopa Ghosh, Anjan Dutt, Barun Chanda, Kharaj Mukherjee, Avijit Dutt, Anirban Chakrabarti, Bhaswar Chatterjee, Sumanta Mukherjee and the list just goes on. Regardless of the length of their roles, these amazing actors bring that touch of authenticity and experience to their characters. It’s an absolute feast, as Tillotama says.
Wisdom tooth: I’d like to quote what A.R. Rahman sir once said… that a new tune, because it’s original, because you’ve never heard it before, on first hearing might feel a little alien to you but then it enters your system, grows on you and you soon realise that it lives inside you. Tooth Pari is that new song. It’s not only a twisted vampire love story, but also a thriller, a mildly horror show in a couple of places and a dark comedy with a touch of film noir. Sink your teeth in!
