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Prosenjit as Bikram Singha Roy |
Dry red chillies, cow dung, scattered pots of flowers and cows roaming around. Rajiv’s set for his untitled film (produced by Eskay Movies) at Ramoji Film City, Hyderabad, is a mess! Rajiv is shooting a village sequence with his team and as soon as he yells ‘action’, in comes Prosenjit, dressed like a no-nonsense cop but twirling his moustache and making funny gestures. As Gupi in the garb of a tough cop, Prosenjit, who has a double role in the film, leaves everyone in splits after each shot.
“I am enjoying it and so is my team. After every shot they say, ‘Dada darun lagchhe!’ We are shooting the sequence where Gupi the chhinchke chor (petty thief) comes dressed as Bikram, the tough cop. Bikram is no more and Gupi becomes Bikram. This is going to be something like Dabangg. As Gupi I am doing what Salman (Khan) did in Dabangg,” laughs Prosenjit.
Another shot done, Prosenjit settles down for a cup of hot tea and some salted biscuits (his lunch for the day)! “Who said you don’t have to be an actor when you do mainstream, masala films like this? You have to enjoy it and come out with something new. For the last 15 years this is what my team and I have done together.”
What does he have to say about his director? “Rajiv is working very hard. Of course he has worked with big heroes like Dev (!) but this film will be a turning point for him. It will be mounted on a huge scale. I will go to any extent to make it a complete package. When people watch the film they should say look what Arun Chatterjee (his character in Autograph) or Lalan (his Lalan Fakir in Moner Manush) has done!” smiles Tolly’s leading man.
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Prosenjit as Gupi with Richa who plays his love interest in the film
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Prosenjit says he doesn’t do anything extra for so-called cerebral films and any less for such masala films. “Both are challenging. Even the technicians are handling me in a different way. The fight sequences are unlike a Jeet or a Dev film; there are more hand fights and punches. The songs are being shot differently, it’s like the 60s-70s gharana. In one of the songs I am paying a tribute to Mr (Amitabh) Bachchan and Mithunda (Chakraborty). It will be a nostalgic watch. Can’t I take them (the audience) to the days of Amar Sangi?” he wonders wistfully.
After sunset it’s time for pack-up and Prosenjit drifts down memory lane. “I was one of the first to initiate shoots in Ramoji. I have been coming here for a long time. It’s almost like a second home now. Mishuk (son) is very famous here. Whenever I enter Sitara (the five-star hotel inside Ramoji) people ask ‘Baba kaisa hai’. He recalls the day when he got mobbed in Hyderabad!
“A long time ago I had gone to the city to buy some pearls thinking nobody would recognise me. After half an hour I saw 300 men staring at me! The pearl karigars are all Bengalis! I can’t walk about normally even here.”
Kushali Nag |
