He’s the man of the moment. The star who’s reaching for the top. The hero of the silver screen who’s gazing down from posters in every corner of the city.

The name is, of course, Dev, (Deepak) Adhikari, whose swift succession of hits have made him the golden boy of Tollywood.

By movie industry standards anywhere Dev is pure gold and has had an incredible run in his short career. He started inconspicuously with Agnisapath (2006)that turned out to be a box office dud. But after that he has been the hero in eight movies and they’ve all — without exception — been runaway hits. “He is the most talked about actor in Calcutta today and his appeal lies in his romantic image,” says Dev’s good friend and director Raj Chakraborty.

Inevitably, Dev is now being deluged by movie offers and scripts from hopeful directors. And he’s rushed off his feet barely getting any time to rest between movies. His latest film Le Chakka (directed by Raj Chakraborty), which released recently, is doing well and he’s already getting ready for another Raj Chakraborty film, Dui Prithibi, in which he is co-starring with Jeet. Also coming up is a yet-to-be-named action film being directed by Sujit Mondal. Says Dev: “I am happy at the way my career has shaped up. I am hungry to do good films”.

Dev co-stars with Jeet in the upcoming Dui Prithibi; (above) A moment from Le Chakka

What is it about Dev that has the fans asking for more? Dev’s connect with the audience is clear to see even when he’s offscreen. Director Chakraborty recounts incidents during the shooting of Dui Prithbi when Dev would start playing cricket with the local kids during breaks in places like Purulia and Bolpur. “There would be all these little boys and girls coming up to him and showing him how they had learnt to perfection the dance steps of his hit song Le Paglu Dance from Bolo Na Tumi Amar,” he recalls.

Dev’s co-star Payel Sarkar (in Le Chakka) agrees, “Dev is very down-to-earth and mingles with everybody on the sets without being starry. He used to keep everyone in a good mood even through the punishing 7am-to-midnight shoot schedule.”

Chakraborty insists that Dev is so grounded that he doesn’t “understand stardom”. “Even now he wants to go to the dhaba or hang out at shopping malls, which ironically he can no longer do. The last time we went to a shopping mall there was such chaos when Dev was recognised that he has been asked by the mall authorities to stop visiting the place,” says Chakraborty.

Dev too is beginning to get used to all the attention and is touched by the warmth. Le Chakka, was shot in Creek Row, a typical central Calcutta locality. “The film has all that’s quintessentially Bengali like the para (street) culture, para cricket matches and the essential divide between north and south Calcutta. I think these actually worked in favour of this film as Bengali cine-goers today want realistic ideas,” says Dev, who was overwhelmed by the para atmosphere. “It was a great experience shooting for a month in Creek Row with more than 10,000 people turning up every day to watch us. Since I am from Mumbai, I was overwhelmed by the para camaraderie.”

The actor in action at an exhibition cricket match organised by the Priya Entertainment group; Pic by Aranya Sen

And what are Dev’s strengths on screen? Chakraborty says, “His screen presence is awesome. He lights up the frame he is in. He’s also a quick learner and willing to learn from his mistakes. I have seen him mature from his earlier films in terms of his Bengali accent, dialogue delivery and his acting skills. Also he is a superb dancer.”

Interestingly acting wasn’t the first choice for this computer engineer. Dev was born and brought up in Mumbai and he graduated from Bhartiya Vidyapith, Pune. “After my studies I returned to Mumbai terribly confused. I was unsure about my career. It was my father who introduced me to directors Abbas-Mustan and from then on I started to hang out as an observer on the sets of their film Tarzan-The Wonder Car (2004),” he reminisces.

It was during the shoot of Vikram Bhatt’s film Elaan, that Dev got his break in Bengali films. “I was first spotted by cameraman Babul Roy who was shooting in Mumbai then and I couldn’t say no to him. Though the film he approached me for never happened, I decided to try my luck in Tollywood,” he says. To prepare for his entry into the movies, the youngster did a six-month acting course at Kishore Namit Kapoor’s Acting Academy in Mumbai before moving to Calcutta.

Dev’s first major hit was I Love You (2007) directed by Ravi Kinnagi and produced by Shree Venkatesh Films. There was no stopping him after that. What followed were hits like Premer Kahini (2008), Mon Maane Na (2008) and Challenge (2009), which also won him the Anandalok Award for Best Action Hero and Best Actor in 2009. “I am a director’s actor. What I am today is because of the efforts of my directors. I was a rank newcomer during I Love You, with very little knowledge of acting. Raviji taught me every little detail about filmmaking, camera angles and focus. The film made for great training,” he says.

Dev with actors Tota Roy Chowdhury (left), Arindam Sil (right) and designer Sharbari Dutta at a Bengali New Year event; Pic by Bishwarup Dutta

In his early days he also received tips from the top stars in the industry. “I am a great fan of Bumbada (Prosenjit) and love to watch his films. Whenever we meet he appreciates my performance and gives me advice on how to become a natural performer,” he says.

Performer he definitely is. Music director Jeet Ganguly whose chartbuster songs like Le Paglu Dance and Bhojo Gourango were picturised on Dev, says: “Dev’s body language, his sense of rhythm, his passion for dance fetch him full marks in the performance category.” In fact, he even says that the Bengali film industry is looking at its next ‘dancing star’ in Dev.

And it is not just the dance numbers. Dev carries off even romantic or peppy numbers with equal élan. “A song is a composer’s baby and with Dev I know my babies are in safe hands. He brings out the emotions that I put into a track perfectly,” says Ganguly.

Dev’s also very aware that in order to survive this competitive industry, you need to look as good as possible. “Today, looking good is as important as your acting skills. Unlike before, grooming is being taken up seriously by today’s directors. Even producers are willing to spend a lavish amount on locations and wardrobe,” he says.

Fashion designer Abhishek Dutta, who’s worked with Dev for various photo shoots, agrees that Dev has a sense of style. Says Dutta: “He is never over-the-top in his dressing and sports a casual look. That makes him very approachable for the masses.” Chakra-borty agrees. “Dev blends in with his dressing style. That makes it easy for the masses to relate to this youngster, who is a ‘hero’ but still one of them. Kids want to be like him, they believe it is possible to do that,” he adds.

Challenge gave Dev the opportunity to play an action hero

Ask the man himself — who is the real Dev? The answer is heart-warmingly candid. He insists that he’s not a party-goer and lives a low-key un-star-like lifestyle. “In real life I hate to socialise and party hard. I hate to step out of my house when I have no work.” His favourite pastime, he says, is to catch up on sleep. “That’s one thing I never get tired of, ” he says. Another enduring passion is fishing. He loves to relax by going out fishing at a friend’s farm house in Baruipur. “It’s an inexpensive and fun way to spend time with friends,” he confides.

Even as he races up the commercial charts, Dev is keen to do parallel cinema. “Though I want to establish my identity in mainstream Bengali films, I am open to doing any kind of roles in art-house cinema as well. I always go after a script with conviction and make sure that my work is always top quality,” he says.

But is he looking westwards and getting ready to try his luck in the fickle world of Bollywood? “Honestly, though there are offers from Bollywood I am sceptical about taking them up. The competition is too stiff there,” he admits.

The actor also acknowledges that his family plays a big role in his life — even more so after he has become a star. His father (originally from East Midnapore district of West Bengal) Gurupada Adhikari who shifted to Mumbai in the ’70s runs a catering business while his mother Ganga stays with him in Calcutta. “My family is always there to praise and criticise me,” he says.

The young actor has plenty to be happy about right now. He recently bought a plush flat in South City. “I’ve always dreamt of staying on the top floor of a swank apartment building. The dream came true when I bought this flat in a 29-storeyed building,” he gushes.

Call it kismet, karma or street smartness, Dev has made all the right moves. “The expectations from each film are huge and I know my priorities. I have to be conscious of the kind of projects that are going to take me ahead or pull me down,” he signs off. Clearly, this hero is up for any Challenge.