Madhur Bhandarkar’s Calendar Girls stars a bunch of Bengalis. t2 caught up with two of them on Tuesday afternoon — ‘calender girl’ Kyra Dutt and Indraneil Sengupta — at the actress’s Jodhpur Park house over tea, pizza, sandwiches and pastries!    

Congratulations to both of you! How did Calendar Girls happen?

Kyra: I came to know that they were making Calendar Girls and I had already been a part of Kingfisher Calendar in 2013. I went and met Madhur Bhandarkar. He said: ‘Your looks fit the bill, come and audition.’ I went for three rounds of auditions. I remember I was in Calcutta last year when I got a call from his office saying that I had been selected!

Indraneil: I got a call from his office that there was a role in this film called Calendar Girls. Honestly, it’s a very small role. I play Shashank Dutta, the head of a news channel, the most celebrated reporter… confident and successful. I cannot give out anything more… don’t know if I have anything more! (Laughs) When I landed up for the shoot on the first day, I met Kyra and discovered she was a Bengali, from Calcutta... and then I came to know that Satarupa (Pyne, also one of the ‘calendar girls’) was also from Calcutta. We had some good scenes but it’s their film, the five girls. There are guys in the film, but they are inconsequential (laughs). We are just fillers.

Kyra: I was the last among the five girls to be cast. They were still looking for someone as Sharon Pinto. Like most of Madhur Bhandarkar’s films, this is also taken from real-life circumstances. It’s women-centric… the journey of these five girls, revolving around a calendar shoot. It is kind of soul-searching. Sharon is this fearless, free-spirited kind of a girl who is high on morals. When she comes into the industry, she realises that there is little or no room for her morals. Then she needs to decide which way she wants to go. I could relate to some of the incidents. It’s not always about exploitation and casting couch. It’s also about good experiences and bad experiences.

Indraneil: The best part about a Madhur Bhandarkar film is that the characters are relatable. I like the brand of non-acting acting.

Indraneil, why did you agree to do a small role? 

To be very honest, because of Madhur Bhandarkar. I didn’t care about how long the role was or whether I was one of the main guys or not.

What does Madhur bring to the table?

Indraneil: He gives a realistic touch to the whole thing and I am comfortable with that kind of acting. I have to try hard to pull off a melodramatic role. Although he is a celebrated director, he is so appreciative of your work. I am much more experienced than Kyra but with her also, he just let you be. I saw her scenes with me during dubbing... the ease with which she has done it, she is very good....

Kyra: Thank you!

Indraneil: I guess Madhur was able to bring it out and give them the confidence to perform at that level.

Kyra: Madhur Bhandarkar is an actor’s director. This is probably the first time he was working with newcomers. He doesn’t come with a preconceived notion. He just breaks you. He is someone who wants a spontaneous actor… someone who will change a line on the spot.
Indraneil: He gave me a simple briefing… this guy is high on energy and confidence. I read my lines… he didn’t change anything. He is not a guy who butts in. There are certain directors who act it out! He is also not the shout-y kind. I liked his unit too… the ADs. Usually, you get one AD who sticks out like a sore thumb! (Kyra goes ROFL)

Is Calendar Girls about Vijay Mallya?

Kyra: It is not about Vijay Mallya! (Laughs)

Or the Kingfisher calendar?
Kyra: It is not about the Kingfisher calendar!

So, there is no similarity?

Indraneil: There will be vague references probably. If you are forced to draw similarities…

Kyra: There is a reference to a calendar shoot.

Indraneil: And an industrialist probably. For example, if you show there is a cricket captain of the country, it is not essentially (M.S.) Dhoni.

How did the five girls bond?

Kyra: We had never met before. Even Satarupa… though she is from Calcutta, I never knew her until I met her on the sets. We didn’t have any scenes together, but we used to hang together backstage. There was a chemistry between the five of us that shows on screen. People talk so much about bromance…

Indraneil: Sismance happened!

Kyra: There are always rumours about catfights, which is rubbish.

Did Madhur ask you for inputs, given that you had been on the Kingfisher calendar?

Kyra: He wanted the shoot to be very real. He asked me questions about that.
Indraneil: I’ll tell you what she did. She said, ‘We essentially go abroad and shoot the calendar’. That’s how they got a ticket to Mauritius.
Kyra: Absolutely!

So, Indraneil didn’t get to go?

Indraneil: Only Rohit Roy got to go. If you want to draw a parallel, he is the Atul Kasbekar in the film.

Do you think this film will open more doors for you?

Indraneil: I am at that stage of my life where I don’t expect miracles to happen. She is being discovered through this film. She holds more promise but she would also be pretty apprehensive about it. I won’t have that fear or too much expectation. If it is nice people will appreciate, but that won’t change the world for me, it might change the world for her.

Kyra: I’ll always be very emotional about this film. Initially, I was sceptical that I would be shooting with four more girls, but the director and the production placed it so well that five of us are like equals. I am very happy with the part that I have played. Indraneil’s been a support, which has definitely lifted my scenes.

Indraneil, you are a man of few expectations...

I have always been a man of few expectations. Then the disappointments are also less.

Where do you see your Bolly career going?

Indraneil: Yash Chopra is not there anymore. Karan Johar or Sanjay Leela Bhansali is not launching me...

Kyra: You never know!

Indraneil: Now it’s all about doing good roles and characters. Sometimes some characters might really work... then you might get work more frequently. I am not going to be the next Sidharth Malhotra. Yes, I can have a phase. That is a hope always.

Indraneil, why have you given Tollywood a miss?

I don’t think I have given Tollywood a miss. I think Tollywood has given me a miss... probably, I didn’t fit into their scheme of things as much as they would have wanted me to. I am a very different person. I am not the right person for the Tollywood industry. I am happy with what I got, but I could have got 10 times of what I have right now. I deserved it and I still deserve it. Yes, I have moved myself away from Tollywood. Now, if they need me, they call me and I come and work. Other than that I am very happy not getting into that s***.

Saionee Chakraborty
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