A film about marital discord, estrangement and the essence of true love, Shreeman Vs Shreemati, based on true events, is a film that talks about the enduring quality of certain human relationships. A t2 chat with veteran actors Mithun Chakraborty and Anjan Dutt, who star together for the very first time in their career in this film (releases on May 1), directed by Pathikrit Basu. Excerpts.
A main point of interest that everyone’s talking about is that both of you started your career with a Mrinal Sen film. Could you share some memories from that time?
Mithun: I will never forget Mrinal Sen’s style of working and how he brought out exactly what he wanted from me as an actor. He would leave me all by myself in a Santhal village and go away to look for locations. I would roam around the village all day, mingle with the tribals, eat and drink with them, picking up aspects of their behaviour along the way and learning their way of life. That experience greatly helped me, a total newcomer and a nobody, to portray Ghinua (my character) in a way I could perhaps have never done otherwise.
Anjan: I will remember him very fondly for the way he used to scold me. He would often get irritated with how he would need to instruct me and compare my performance with Mithunda's, who he always praised very highly. But he was such a good-natured human being that I never felt I was working with a famous director; he was just like a friend to me.
A moment from 'Shreeman Vs Shreemati', which releases in theatres on May 1
After you worked in your first film, nearly five decades ago, each of you has charted very different journeys and now come together for a film for the first time ever. How did that happen and why did it take so long?
Mithun: Pathikrit made everything happen. He needed two men of roughly our age, for a film with a unique triangular love story. So he approached me and told me the story and I agreed. And when I was told that Anjan would be a co-actor, I was excited to get the chance to work with him. So we could finally act together in the film, and the result is ready for you all to see.
Anjan: The straight answer to the question as to why it took so long is that nobody had ever thought about it. But Pathikrit did. I had approached Buddhadeb Dasgupta for the role of the son (played by Rahul Bose) in Kalpurush (2005) in which Mithunda played the father’s character, but unfortunately that did not work out. But now, it has finally happened and I am very happy. And I think it happened because Pathikrit is very young and energetic, and took the decision to cast us on the spur of the moment, without thinking too much about it.
The audience is waiting eagerly to watch two veterans whose career trajectories have been so vastly different, coming together to share screen space. Tell us what you felt about working with each other.
Mithun: I was totally into commercial cinema and Dada (Anjan) did mainly arthouse films. So in a way it was shocking to me that he agreed to do a film with me (laughs)! But Pathikrit persuaded me and then everything fell into place very nicely. It was a wonderful experience and an honour to act alongside him. I always knew that he was a great actor and Anjan has also sung a lovely song for Shreeman Vs Shreemati. He has a terrific voice and I just love it. Actually I am fortunate to share a lot of my scenes with him and I enjoyed myself totally.
Anjan: I had always personally wanted to act in a fun, mainstream movie and when I learnt that Mithunda would be my co-actor, that clinched the deal for me. I consider him to be one of the finest star-actors, in the same league as Balraj Sahni and Amitabh Bachchan. I think after Balraj, Mithun da stepped on both sides successfully, doing art films and successful entertainers with fights, songs and dances. It is always a different experience working with a great persona but though we hadn’t met before, I knew that he didn’t carry that baggage (of a star). But actually to feel that on set was a truly special experience for me.
Anjanda, on a different note, name your top three Mithun Chakraborty films.
Anjan: Number one will be Guru (2007), which I think was one of his finest performances. I was absolutely stunned by it. Next is Kasam Paida Karne Wale Ki (1984), it was a superb show by Mithunda, where he displayed all kinds of action and emotions. And of course, I must mention Tahader Katha (1992). But Mrigayaa (1976) is the defining film. In the scene where he has been captured and put in prison — he paces about it as though he is a caged tiger. That was outstanding.
So what was the energy like on the set? Give us hints of any special spark that the audience can expect while watching the two of you together?
Mithun: The energy was of course defined by what was demanded in every scene. Apart from that, we would have some great conversations. Before every scene there would be some amount of discussion with the director and mostly we went as per the script. The story was clear and so was the script. Though we did not need to improvise as such, Pathikrit gave us an open hand. What was special was that we understood each other very well and reacted to each other spontaneously. We developed a good rapport very quickly too and so I found the experience extremely enjoyable.
Anjan: As I have said earlier also, Mithunda is a complete actor, natural and powerful in every scene, no matter what his role is. He may be a big star, but he is an actor first and that energy radiates throughout the film. He had a broken arm when he shot for this film, which was tied in a cast. But the way he managed it all was brilliant. There was nothing eccentric or melodramatic about his acting, though the dialogues or situations may have been emotionally heavy.
So what was it about Shreeman Vs Shreemati that you think will strike a chord with audiences?
Anjan: It is one of those old-fashioned love stories that have an eternal quality. Though it is a tale of triangular love, its situations are unconventional. Yet it is not a complex film. Some core human values are embedded in it. The film also shows the nature of contemporary romantic relationships. And I strongly believe that the simplicity of emotions always works. So I think the audience will love what they see.
Do you hope to work with each other again? And can the audience look forward to watching a movie by Anjan Dutt starring Mithun Chakraborty?
Mithun: Of course, I hope to work with him again, it would be an absolute honour.
Anjan: Definitely, I would love to work with him again, if I can afford it. I have dreams of directing a large-scale Hindi film. And I would definitely cast Mithunda in a key role. At the moment, I am indulging in wishful thinking, let’s hope I can find a producer to fund it.
Recently, we have seen that many Bengali movies are centred around elderly people as their focal characters. Could you shed light on why that is becoming a trend?
Mithun: What’s wrong with it?! I feel the older generation balances the younger generation and adds a different dimension to the story. Though I still consider myself part of the younger group!
Anjan: One of the reasons is that perhaps older people are delivering better stuff than their younger counterparts. But the older crop of actors has been ignored for too long. Top-class actors have been made to sit idle for years just because they have grown older. And now that they are back, the audience loves to see them again, in roles suitable to their age.
