Filmmaker Srijit Mukherjee has said his latest venture 'Shah Jahan Regency', the contemporary adaptation of author Shankar's timeless classic 'Chowringhee', is free from commercial trappings.

'Shah Jahan Regency' mirrors socio-political situation in modern-day Kolkata, while retaining the spirit of 'Chowringhee' based in the metropolis of 1950s, Mukherjee said recently on the sidelines of a programme.

The national award-winning director stressed that he has put equal emphasis on all key characters in the fiction, unlike the 1968 film based on the same novel with matinee idol Uttam Kumar in the lead.

The film is slated for release on January 19.

Mukherjee also clarified that he has retained the essence of the characters, while reinterpreting them.

"There is a big difference between the Kolkata of 1950s and now. The city had more spacious roads in 1950s, which has changed vastly in the present times. When we give a contemporary spin to the timeless tale, the retro look does gel with the film's premise," he said.

Explaining further, he said that protagonist Satyasundar Bose, better known as Satta, is referred to Samiran in his film.

Author Mani Shankar Mukherjee, when approached about his take on the new outing, said he has full faith on the director.

"Giving contemporary touch to old novels isn't something new. I haven't read the script, but going by the narration of Srijit Mukherjee, I feel Chowringhee - which has a universal appeal - can be readapted to the present times," he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)