Big big big big big ..... #Bishorjon best bengali film #NationalAwards @KGunedited @OperaMovies — Abir Chatterjee’s tweet on April 7 summed up the unbridled joy he felt when Kaushik Ganguly’s Bishorjon (starring Abir and Jaya Ahsan) won the National Award for Best Bengali Film. On April 8, t2 met up with Abir at Whats In D Name (Park Street-Camac Street crossing) and got talking over 
kebabs about the Friday film.

How important is this award for you?

It is very important and I am very excited. This is a first for me, where a Bengali film featuring me as the male lead has won a National Award. 

Will the award help the box office potential of the film?

This will certainly create a certain attention. Earlier we used to think that only serious films won National Awards. Now, gradually that perception is changing. Also, we are making more middle-of-the-road films that have entertainment value… that are also dealing with socially aware subjects. This is my second film with Kaushikda. He is one of the most sensible, intelligent and emotional scriptwriters. And Kaushikda, the actor, is one of the best we have. Jaya is like the Calcutta Municipality tap water (smiles). She can cry two gallons! She is the anchor of the film.

Why do you feel Bishorjon will connect with the audience?

It is a hard-hitting subject and is very relatable. People will connect with it because the film talks about love and ultimately how love wins over everything. I play Naseer Ali… he is from Basirhat. He is a regular guy. By chance or by accident he lands up in a situation, and then the film goes on to show what happens. Naseer Ali is completely different from what I am in real life. His economic background, the way he leads his life.... He doesn’t have the urban touch and at the same time he is not from a remote area. His outlook towards life is completely different from mine. The character is far removed from what I am in real life. I had to let go of my urban sensibilities, take on a different body language. I had to speak in a language that would make him believable…. it shouldn’t have the urban polish, neither should it have the overtly bangal influence.

Naseer has a leg injury, he cannot move. Most of the time he is very static. That was an added challenge. I could not move freely. I could not have a free-flowing body language. Also, he doesn’t talk much, because he fears that if he talks too much, he might land up in trouble. He is keeping mum. He is listening. But he has loads to share. A lot of things are going on inside him which he needs to share. So that was a challenge... I was not speaking much, but emoting. He is very ashohay. He cannot express his feelings, and at the same time he has so much to say. 

We’ve heard the first day of shoot was very tough...

I lay in mud covered from head to toe on the first day for the first shot! I was feeling like one of Rudrapal’s (idol maker) creations. Physically it was the most demanding scene. The mud from the Ichhamati river was fresh.

What were you thinking? 

Kaushikda was telling me, ‘Think about the art. Shilper kotha bhabo. Think about Naseeruddin Shah and what he did in Paar.’ And I was lying there, and even if I had wanted I couldn’t have come out of that space on my own. I was there for four-five hours, but I never felt bad, it was one of the most crucial scenes in the film. And hats off to all the women who go for mud packs (smiles). I had multiple mud packs that day! We had to shoot a portion of the scene later, so we had to go back. I got the mud pack once again. 

Your Byomkesh Bakshi films are so popular. But your other films like Abby Sen and Monchora are not box-office success stories. Why? Have you analysed this?

I have, but nothing is in my hand. Abby Sen is a personal fave. Apart from Byomkesh and Feluda films, my top four films are Abby Sen, The Royal Bengal Tiger, Baastushaap and Hrid Majharey. Hrid Majharey didn’t do well but it is an online sensation. I still get messages and mails congratulating me on doing that film. My mother feels my best performance is in The Royal Bengal Tiger. It was not a huge box-office hit but I’d love to do a film like that again and again and again. Same goes for Abby Sen. I am really proud of these films. 

Does it hurt when such films don’t do well?

Yes it does, but suppose tomorrow a script like Abby Sen comes to me, I will definitely do the film. I’ll definitely make my dates available. For example, I have done Atanu Ghosh’s Bahattor Ghanta, which is a compilation of six short stories. The box office thing is not in my hand. I can only ask my audience to go watch it. I can promote my film well, avail of all kinds of promotional avenues. Rest is up to the audience.    

Do you think your heroic image of Byomkesh overshadows your other characters? Do audiences search for that image or the heroism in your other characters?

No, the serious film viewers are very happy that I am doing different roles. They also remind me to do different kinds of films. And there is a section of audience who love to see me as Byomkesh only. Even if I tell them that Bishorjon is releasing this Friday, they’ll go, ‘Dada, Byomkesh!’ If I tell them that Byomkesh is not happening this year, they will ask again and again, ‘Won’t you do Byomkesh this year?!’ And then they’ll ask me about doing Feluda again. How can you analyse this?! 

Byomkesh is such an iconic character, so its shadow will be huge as well. And there are people who would love to see me in Bishorjon or Abby Sen. You can’t get the best of all the worlds. Now it is your decision as an artiste to choose the scripts that excite you.     

Anyway, we have decided that we won’t do any Byomkesh films this year. We’ll come back with the next Byomkesh film in 2018. We now have to be very careful about choosing the right story. Maybe there’ll be a mix of two stories. I feel there should be a gap for Byomkesh. 

Are you open to doing mainstream films? 

I have done Bojhena Shey Bojhena, Katmundu…

Yeah, but do you find such films are not coming to you now?

But I’m getting offers. I’ll do such a film on the merit of the script. I would love to reach out to more audiences. 

And do you want to project yourself in a certain way in those films?

Yeah, like I trust Raj Chakraborty, and he knows the pros and cons of taking me in a mainstream film. I’ll be very comfortable doing a mainstream film with Raj but that doesn’t mean that I won’t do a Ravi Kinagi film. 

Are you cool with dancing around trees?

I have a problem with dancing! 

What is your stand on dancing?

I’m only standing!!! I don’t think dancing lessons will help me (laughs).  

Both Jisshu Sengupta and Parambrata Chattopadhyay have their production companies. Are you thinking of going into that zone?

Both are senior to me in terms of work experience. Maybe in future, not now. It is too early. 

Arindam Chatterjee
Picture: Rashbehari Das