Actor Parambrata Chattopadhyay, who has collaborated with filmmaker Srijit Mukherji on several projects in the past, feels some of the recent films made by the National Award-winning director were “unwatchable”.
Parambrata, now a known face even in Hindi cinema, is set to star in Srijit’s upcoming film Killbill Society, a sequel to the 2012 film Hemlock Society, which also starred the actor.
“He (Srijit) was incredibly consistent in the first five years of his career… the problem is, sometimes I feel he gets too obsessed with himself, and ends up making films that are tributes to his own legacy. And those are often unwatchable,” said Parambrata in a candid chat with The Telegraph Online.
Parambrata Chattopadhyay is no stranger to Srijit Mukherji’s world of cinema, having collaborated with him on multiple films like Baishe Srabon, Chotuskone, Dwitiyo Purush and Shotyi Bole Shotyi Kichhu Nei.
“Srijit is one of the sharpest minds to have emerged in Bengali cinema in the last 15 years,” Parambrata said. “Even when we were in school together, we knew Rhiju-da was a sharp student. But as an adult, when I met him again in 2008, I realised he was not just sharp — he was a visionary,” he added.
The actor recalled reading the early draft of Autograph, originally titled Kirdaar, and being blown away by how professionally it was written. “At a time when most scripts in Kolkata were still scribbled with pens, here was a screenplay on Final Draft that read like a finished product.”
Despite the critique, the admiration remains. “I expect so much from him—that’s why it’s underwhelming when he doesn’t deliver. But then he makes something like Shotyi Bole Shotyi Kichhu Nei, you’re reminded of the filmmaker you believed in,” said Parambrata.
In Killbill Society, Parambrata plays Mrityunjoy Kar, a character that marks a dramatic shift from his role as Ananda Kar in Hemlock Society.
“Ananda helped people find meaning in life. Mrityunjoy kills for a living. That’s the kind of transformation that speaks volumes about how much the world has changed,” he said.
He believes the film captures the zeitgeist of a post-social media society. “Thirteen years ago, we couldn't imagine what we see now. Politicians, influencers—everyone’s flipped. Switching sides and abandoning ideals has become normal. That’s what this character represents for me.”
Killbill Society, set to hit screens on April 11, features Parambrata opposite Koushani Mukherjee for the first time. While the actors come from different performance backgrounds, Parambrata said the on-screen chemistry developed gradually.
“She had to work really hard—this was perhaps her most dialogue-heavy film. Srijit’s writing is dense with puns and references. But she was dedicated,” he said.
Parambrata admitted their “personal energies” were different, but they found a rhythm through rehearsals and workshops. “She might have been a little intimidated initially,” he chuckled. “But I was sweet to her, and she was sweet to me. We got along just fine.”