Rudranil Ghosh is turning out to be the dark horse of Chalo Let’s Go.... His funnyman act in the Anjan Dutt travel film has landed Rudranil a host of films where he plays, well, a funnyman. Plus, he gets to keep his name in at least two of the films!

Having signed no less than 10 films, the dark and diminutive hero who gets the heroine (Aparajita Ghosh Das) in Chalo Let’s Go... has become one of the busiest actors of Tollywood.

“I am doing Chhoy Chhuti, a Club RP production, where I play myself (as Rudranil) opposite newcomer Dona. Then there’s Birsa’s (Dasgupta) 033 where I am a keyboardist in the band 033. He is called Rudra and he’s a smalltown guy who is apparently funny but has a serious side to him too,” says Rudranil.

In Arin Paul’s Shabdhan Pancha Ashchhe, for which he has started shooting, Rudranil is a salesman selling sunglasses door to door. “But everyone is scared of me for some reason,” laughs Rudranil, who’s most excited about Anjan Dutt’s next film revolving around him and Soumitra Chatterjee. “In this one, I bond with Soumitrajethu after he saves my life. But I can’t reveal more.”

In the pipeline are Mainak Bhaumik’s Maach Mishti & More and Parambrata Chatterjee’s Jiyo Kaka!. “I am also supposed to do Rinadi’s (Aparna Sen) Goynar Baksho, Goutam Halder’s Mukti, and Shekhar Das and Bappaditya Bandopadhyay’s untitled films,” rattles off Rudranil. Two films where he has bit roles — Aparna Sen’s The Japanese Wife and Mahesh Michigan’s Hello Kolkata — are ready for release.

Looking back, Rudranil smiles in contentment. “There was a time when I had no work even after winning accolades for my role in Kantataar and Refugee. But now I can afford to say no to films. Tollywood has changed a lot. Now even the suburban audience have developed a taste for actors like us...”