Mithun Chakraborty talks about Ami Subhash Bolchhi at ITC Sonar Calcutta on Saturday. (Below) Mithun flanked by Anindo Banerjee and Shaheb Bhattacharya. Pictures by Sanjoy Chattopadhyaya

Mithun Chakraborty is all charged up about Mahesh Manjrekar’s debut Bengali film Ami Subhash Bolchhi. The superstar told t2 why Bengalis will be proud of themselves after watching the film in end-July.

What do you play in Ami Subhash Bolchhi?

No, I don’t play Subhash Bose in Ami Subhash Bolchhi! (Chuckles.) I play Debabrata Bose, a middle-class Bengali — the father of a son (Shaheb Bhattacharya) and a daughter (Barkha Bisht Sengupta) — who’s proud to be a Bengali. He is tired of hearing from people that he is a typical Bong! Have you realised people often use this term ‘typical Bong’ in a very derogatory manner? That is something he is fighting against. There are some very heavy-duty dialogues in the film. It’s a very well-made film.

Did you identify with the character, being a Bengali?

Yes I did and I loved the character. Even I had faced this problem at the beginning of my career; people would look down upon me because I am a Bengali. They thought Bengalis are lazy! You know, Bengalis were once ahead in everything but now they are no longer proud of their roots or their culture, which is a shame. Ami Subhash Bolchhi will inspire the youth to respect their culture and their roots. It’s very important to get back the pride of the Bengalis and this film is about that.

How much of a Bengali are you, given that you have been a non-resident Bengali for so long?

I don’t consider myself a probashi Bangali. I spend most of my time in Calcutta nowadays. It’s true that I have spent a lot of my life in Bombay, but I have never detached myself from my roots. At home, most of my staff members are Bengali and I converse in Bangla with them. My wife (Yogita Bali) can speak fluent Bangla. Only my children (three sons and a daughter) are not very fluent in Bengali but they are keen to learn. I have never forgotten my roots despite staying out of Bengal for so long.

Did you urge Mahesh Manjrekar to do a Bengali version of his Marathi hit Mi Shivajiraje Bhosale Boltoy...

Yes, I suggested Mahesh do it in Bengali. Mi Shivajiraje Bhosale Boltoy was a huge success, though I haven’t seen the film. He narrated the story to me one evening and I immediately liked it. In fact I really wanted to do the film. Soon everything fell in place and we started shooting. Mahesh is a very good director. His sensibilities are superb. He gives space to his actors but he is also very clear about what exactly he wants from his actors.

So you introduced Mahesh to the Bengali sensibility...

Actually there’s not much difference between Marathis and Bengalis. Both are fish-eating communities. Marathis like sea fish, we prefer river fish! (Laughs.) Besides, their language is also very sweet.

Apparently you taught Bengali to Barkha on the sets...

No, I didn’t teach her Bengali but I made some corrections in her pronunciation. She picked it up pretty fast.

Shukno Lanka released last year and then you shot for Nobel Chor and now there’s Ami Subhash Bolchhi. Aren’t you depriving your Fatakesto fans?

Arrey etao orokomi! Ami Subhash Bolchhi is very, very commercial. As I said there are ceeti-taali dialogues and fight sequences, so people are going to enjoy it a lot. Besides, I have always maintained that I like playing to the gallery because it’s very easy to find distributors and exhibitors for such films.

Do you think Ami Subhash Bolchhi will equal the success of Mi Shivajiraje...?

That’s very difficult to say. The film has got that kind of potential. Most importantly, all Bengalis will be proud of a film like this.

Both Shaheb and Barkha are all praise for you. What do you think of them as actors?

Shaheb will go a long way. He is very natural. In certain scenes he is brilliant. And what can I say about Barkha? She is a very today’s woman. Very petite and pretty!