Rajat Kapoor as Siddhartha in Iti Mrinalini. Picture by Aranya Sen

Driving to the sets straight from the airport, Rajat Kapoor took a stroll around the Chhatubabu Latubabu house on Saturday afternoon, where Aparna Sen was shooting Iti Mrinalini, before settling down for his make-up. “This is so beautiful!” he exclaimed.

Rajat is back in town after Anuranan and Via Darjeeling to play Siddhartha, a filmmaker in Aparna Sen’s Iti Mrinalini.

“I don’t know much about my role except that Siddhartha is married and is having an affair — if you can call it an affair — with Mrinalini (Konkona Sensharma) who is an actress and has acted in his films. There are a couple of films within the film in Iti Mrinalini, and they are always interesting,” he said.

Even though it’s his first day on the sets, Rajat is at home. “I have not only worked with Koko (Konkona) but have also directed her in Mixed Doubles, after which we became very good friends,” says Rajat, who feels “flattered” to be working with Aparna.

“I had watched 36 Chowringhee Lane a long time back and liked it very much. I wanted to work with Aparna.... I love an actor’s life,” he says, sipping coffee as the technicians run around fixing the lights for his shot.

Rajat’s must-do list in Calcutta includes having “mishti” and walking around Park Street in between shooting. “Calcutta is very familiar to me. I have shot for two films here and also come here with my plays. I want to learn Bengali, though they won’t let me dub for my role in Iti Mrinalini.”

Back in Mumbai, Rajat is busy staging Hamlet. He has finished shooting Raat Gayi Baat Gayi and is in the process of completing Fatso, starring Ranvir Shorey and Gul Panag. But Rajat won’t mind squeezing in a Bengali film, “provided the role is good and director is exciting”.