Actor Prosenjit Chatterjee is getting ready for a new role. The star who has been ruling over Tollywood for 30 years has been there, done that. Now, Hollywood beckons.

"I have nothing new to prove here. I have no new risks to take," Chatterjee elaborates. "I want to test myself all over again and create my own brand in world cinema."

Indeed, he has acted in almost all genres of films - from potboiler commercials such as Baba Keno Chakar to the award-winning Moner Manush. He evolved as an actor under the expert directorial hand of Rituparno Ghosh, who was his mentor and close friend.

And it was Ghosh who first urged him to think of moving away from his comfort zone. "Way back in 2000, Rituparno Ghosh called me from a festival abroad and insisted that I seriously think of a career in the West. He said foreigners after watching my films had enquired about me. It has been in my mind since then," he recalls.

Chatterjee is talking about his plans as he takes a lunch break while shooting for the tele series Mahanayak, where he plays the original "Nayak" Uttam Kumar. As he digs into his grilled bekti fillets, he explains that multiple domestic commitments stopped him from thinking of a career in the West all these years. But now that he has made up his mind, he is determined to move on.

To begin with, he is attending film festivals in the US where his films are being screened. "I love going to such festivals since they offer a great platform to showcase your work, know directors of repute, exchange ideas and expand your network," he says.

His new film Sankhachil, yet to be released in India, is being considered for screening at a major film festival in the West. "It deals with an international issue, how borders create problems in human relationships and rip lives apart. I play a Bangladeshi schoolteacher who represents the frustration of those affected by the Partition," Chatterjee - Bumbada to his friends and fans - says.

His other films too, including Rituparno Ghosh's Dosar, Goutam Ghose's Moner Manush and Buddhadeb Dasgupta's Ami, Yasin Ar Amar Madhubala, were selected for screening at major festivals in Toronto, Cannes and Shanghai and were much appreciated, he points out.

What's the immediate trigger for the westward plunge? Could it be the unprecedented success and fame that Bollywood stars such as Priyanka Chopra and Anil Kapoor have tasted? Chatterjee - who looks younger than his 53 years - points out that he is not interested in big roles, but meaningful ones.

"The role can be minuscule, but it has to be impactful. I want to do what Om Puri and Naseeruddin Shah have done, or Irrfan Khan is doing. I closely follow how Irrfan has been working and his movies are simply amazing. And he is noticed," he says.

How exactly is Chatterjee preparing to market himself in Hollywood, where competition is cut-throat? "Everything in Hollywood is routed through big agencies. I have deployed a couple of agents to hunt the right roles for me, some of which fell through. Talks are in the final stage with a big agency house, which handles many an international portfolio," he states.

He was recently offered the role of a sanyasi for a German film set in the Himalayas. "But I got sceptical about the scale of the film so I turned down the offer. If you start wrong, you are gone," he says.

The actor-director is impressed by the way films are made in the West. "Their approach to work and scale of economy are way better than what we can ever imagine here. They think of the script first and get that approved before the rest follows suit. We are experimenting and taking risks, but it might take some time before we reach their level," he says.

Meanwhile, as the agents look for something suitable for him, Chatterjee is taking English classes from a reputed trainer to develop an American accent and polish his diction. "I call the trainer whenever I get a free moment from work. Besides, I am working on my French," he smiles.

The actor has a busy year in 2016. In April, audiences will see him in Goutam Ghose's Sankhachil. In May, he will feature with Rituparna Sengupta in Shiboprosad Mukherjee's Prakton. In June, he will be sharing screen space with Raima Sen and Paoli Dam in Kamaleshwar Mukherjee's Khato and Srijit Mukherji's first gangster movie Zulfiqar will see a Puja release. His first mega serial Mahanayak will be aired from June.

"And, don't forget, my Hindi movie Traffic is also going to be released this April. There will be a whirlwind of promotions for these movies and I begin shooting for Srijit's Kakababu in August. It will be that hectic for me," he chuckles.

With such a demanding schedule, will he be able to juggle between Tolly and Holly? "Why not? It's all about learning to manage dates. The world has shrunk now," he says as he lights up a cigarette.

For a superstar, how does it feel to be a struggler once again?

"It really feels great. I am getting a different kick. I have to start from scratch again and prove my mettle once more to earn a role. I feel transported to my early days in Tollywood. No one knows Bumba da in Hollywood. And that's my new challenge. To make a mark," he says.