Director Prabir Ganguly trying to get his artistes Bidipta Chakraborty, Arindam Sil and Mousumi Kar Chatterjee on the double. PHOTO: ANIL GROVER

We wondered if we were seeing double, but no, it was Bidipta Chakraborty. She clambered up the very narrow spiral staircase leading to the roof of the house rather coolly, though didn’t let director Prabir Ganguly go scotfree. “All the dangerous things you leave for me to do, no?” she mumbled in mock fright. A few minutes later, she was leaning against the very low boundary wall on the rooftop and humming away peacefully. After being in an accident on a set, when she received an electric shock and was somewhat traumatised, “everything is absolutely normal,” she smiled. And it was back to business, as usual. Then, there was this PYT, Mousumi Kar Chatterjee, who has been a newsreader on a TV channel. Which made two of them, newsreader-actresses ? Bidipta and Mousmi.

That doubled our happiness. Till Arindam Sil joined us, that is. No, no, we mean, when Arindam joined us our happiness was fourfold. Because the guy who is all over the place also plays a double role in Bhrantibilas, in the ongoing Oti Uttam series. And the fact that he is playing not one, but two Uttam Kumars has left him delighted tenfold. “It’s foolish to compare anyone with the one single Mahanayak,” said Arindam with endearing modesty, “least of all me. It’s more like remix music of the older classic hits. So why not such modernday remakes of the Uttam classics? We would then be more reasonable in our expectations and enjoy these telefilms for what they are worth.”

Arindam gets pride of place of playing the first double role of Uttam in the Oti Uttam series, though, and Bhanu Banerjee’s double role of the servant in this telefilm goes to Falguni Sanyal. And if that’s not enough, director Prabir Ganguly has added another double role ? that of the maidservant, the single of which was played by Leelavati Kairali in the original written by Vidyasagar. “That story was written some 150 years ago, and naturally today, we would find logical lapses in the story. So, to resolve that logically, and at the same time add some more fun in the modern treatment, I extended that role into a double role, too,” explained Prabir. In the telefilm, that ‘creative’ honours are done by Sudipa Basu.

With so many doubles going around it must be confusing mirth for the viewer, but didn’t the director get all confused at any point of time? “Not at all,” grinned Prabir, “I’m used to handling double roles. Even in my mega, Kaunse Alo Swapno Niye, there was this double dhamaaka!”

Scheduled telecast: ETV Bangla; Dec 10, 9:30pm