Wow messages are pouring in for his turn as the father Ranbir ‘Jagga Jasoos’ Kapoor goes in search of but Saswata Chatterjee hadn’t yet watched the film when t2 visited his Golf Green residence on Monday morning. A quick chat on his second Bollywood outing.

Are you as accident-prone as your character, Tooti-Phooti?

No, not me, my wife (Mohua). Like, you know, the edge of the bed comes forward and hits her shin (starts laughing)... oirokom aar ki.

So did you draw inspiration for Tooti-Phooti from her?

No, no, no. This is a character entirely created by Anurag (Basu, director), so one didn’t need inspiration from anyone else.

What feedback are you getting?

Very good feedback, from the channels, from radio. A friend called me up from Japan after hearing the feedback from here. But you know what, I still haven’t watched the film, because I was travelling! My wife and daughter (Hiya) have seen it, but I haven’t. I’ll go today. I was elated about two calls in particular, from Ushadi (Usha Uthup) and Mamata Shankar. It feels good, especially coming from my seniors.

What excited you most about Jagga Jasoos?

The first thing was it was an Anurag Basu film! So definitely I wanted to do it. I mean sitting in Calcutta, getting to do such a big project of Bombay, where Ranbir Kapoor and Katrina Kaif are the hero-heroine, and that too it was such a major role. Ei lobh ke shamlatey paarey, bhalo kaajer lobh (Who can resist the temptation of good work)?

Falling, tripping, slipping, sliding... these are common tools of comedy. Were you worried that you would have to make the audiences laugh with the help of these?

See, what matters is how these incidents are coming. Each time they came up suddenly, not predictably. The timing was excellent, and the way the shots were taken, till the last second you can’t understand that this will happen. 

What was Anurag Basu’s brief?

He sat here (indicates the couch where we are sitting) and told me the story. He said, this man (Tooti-Phooti) chances upon something, a true incident, because of which many people come after him. He tries to run from them and gets injured and meets a little boy, who is Jagga. And a father-son bond develops. Then this man is on the run again, and thus begins Jagga’s search. This man, too, is a jasoos (detective) in a way, and his son who is trying to find him is also a jasoos. It was a hilarious story. And then when I went to shoot, amar toh chokh chhana-bora hoye gelo (I was wide-eyed with wonder)! 

Really? Why?!

I had never seen a film on such a large canvas! I wouldn’t believe it if I hadn’t seen it. Honestly, Anurag saw the whole film in his head, but none of us could see what he was seeing. That’s Anurag’s style. There is no script on set… the whole thing is in his head. Take the locations, for example. There were two sets in Chandivali Studio in Bombay. When I went to shoot, I asked, this is all? They said the entire background will change with CGI, don’t worry. Then in Morocco... it was all quite astounding… I’ve never worked on such a vast canvas before. 

The day I first met Ranbir, he told me, “Dada, we didn’t know how Barfi! got made. Whatever Dada (Basu) said, we went on doing.”

Same thing happened with Jagga Jasoos. I am so eager to watch the film, I don’t know what the whole film is…. 
[“Shotti bolchhi, this is a different film! Really different film. Oshadharon,” he gushed, when we caught him on his next director Suman Ghosh’s phone on Tuesday night in Haldia where he is shooting for Basu Paribar.]

Singing and lipsynching must have been a new experience too?

Yes. After shooting, at 10pm, Pritam abdaar korto…. chalo record kori. So did that. Yes, it’s the first time I sang. In Ashchorjyo Prodeep, I had rapped with Rajatava Dutta in the office sequence, but this was a new experience. 

There were so many new experiences while making Jagga Jasoos! Like going to Morocco and shooting in Essaouira, which has a port and a fort. All kinds of fish, squid, octopus… and there were these shacks — keno, bhaajo, khao! 
Then we shot in the desert, that sequence with the car coming towards us (him and Ranbir)… dhudhu prantor, 360 degree kichhu nei (totally deserted, no one in sight). And full of snake holes in the ground! There was a long sequence when Ranbir and I were on foot. Ranbir would say, “Dada, sambhalke jaiyega… yeh, idhar… idhar... idhar rattlesnake hoga.” I said, “Hoga toh signal dega” (laughs).

We shot in such terrible heat. And there I saw, though they are two huge stars, not for once did Ranbir or Katrina show any annoyance, not once did they even utter, “so hot”. I saw what professionalism really is… that I have to do my work, whether my surroundings are scorching or scalding. These too are experiences. 

Tell us more from the sets... 

I’ll tell you about this very sweet instance. On our set in Morocco, there was a shortage of chairs. I was sitting and Ranbir-Katrina were giving a shot. Then Katrina came back and I got up to give her the seat. She was like, “Dada, why did you get up? Please sit.” I said “No, no, you sit,” and kept standing. But she too kept standing. I could see she was tired, but she kept standing out of politeness, because there was just one chair. She said, “If you stand, you lose calories, you know.”

But after a bit, fatigue overtook her and she asked, “Dada, may I sit down?” I said, “Please do!” She sat down, then Ranbir finished giving his shot. He came running towards her. “Kya kar rahi hai idhar? Tu baithi hai? Dada (Anurag Basu) bula rahey hain.” 

“I just sat down, okay?” she replied. 

“No, no Dada is calling… jaa!”

She left thinking Anurag had called. But he hadn’t. Ranbir winked at me and said, “Mujhe baithna tha.” 

If Anurag would say anything to me in Bangla, Ranbir would immediately say, “Kya bol raha hai, Dada? Mujhe gaali de raha hai, na?” They are great friends. Ranbir calls him “Dada”, but sometimes pulls his leg and calls him “motey”. 

Then there was a train sequence where Katrina is supposed to push me off. During rehearsal, Ranbir, who is always teasing Katrina, started to tell her, why are you pushing like that? Push like a heroine, na? And Katrina would complain to Anurag, “Dada, Christopher Nolan wants to suggest something” (laughs). Honestly, after working together for such a long time with such a unit, one misses all of them. 

Your equation with the boy, the young Jagga, was adorable...

This film got made over more than three years. We got lucky with one thing, full credit to our little Jagga… he didn’t grow tall! If he had become very tall, sorbonash hoye jeto (disaster)! His name is Sarabjit — quiet, obedient and very sweet! That helped a lot. In the sense, till Ranbir appears, there was always the apprehension whether the audience would like to see me and this little boy. Who knows me? Yes, there was Bob Biswas (his character in Kahaani) four-five years back, but they don’t know me, so there was always this fear. But I think it has clicked, all thanks to how the script moves. Anurag has made this film in memory of his father, he had this very strong bond with his father. I think it’s his bonding with his father which inspired this film.

Tooti-Phooti jumps puddles with his son. Are you a fun dad?

Moja toh kori. Not at all serious. In fact, my daughter, who is in Class X now, gets angry with me. The other day she came and said, “Baba, I have got 24 out of 25.” I said, “Ke pete bolechhilo? Tor baba konodin payeni, tui eto number niye bari dhukbi na (Who told you to score such high marks, when your father never did....)”.

After Bob Biswas in 2012, why did it take so long for another Hindi film from you?

Ranbir asked me the same question, “Dada, chaar saal lag gaya, doosra Hindi film ke liye?”. 

Actually, what happened is, I won’t take the name, but there was one script I received, I couldn’t finish reading it, it was so annoying! Another two I couldn’t do because I didn’t have the dates. I had already committed to Bengali projects. And watching some of those films that I missed, aar mon kharap hoy ni (I don’t feel bad)! (Chuckles) 

Samhita Chakraborty

The other Bengali actor in Jagga Jasoos, Rajatava Dutta, too, hadn’t seen the film till Monday night. The actor, who plays a bumbling cop in JJ, spoke to t2 from San Francisco airport.... 

What kind of feedback have you received for Jagga Jasoos?

Very enthusiastic feedback, both for the film and for my work, and from friends and family as well as from those I do not know. What’s interesting is that one is getting to hear all this within just two days of release. This means people have enthusiastically watched the film right after its release. People have told me that this kind of a fantasy-musical is very rare, both children and elders are enjoying it.  

What excited you most about this film?

Actually Anurag had spoken to me about Barfi!, about doing the role of the policeman. But I couldn’t do it for various reasons, one of them being a date clash. I loved Barfi! when it came out, I have always liked Anurag’s work. And I hugely admired how Saurabh Shukla played the policeman’s character. So, when Anurag told me about this role in Jagga Jasoos, I was terribly excited to get another shot at working with him. And it’s a comedy, which is a favourite gharana of mine. 

What was his brief to you?

Anurag script-wipt toh deye na…(laughs). When we go on set and say, “Arey eki, dialogue dichho na,” then, like in Satyajit Ray’s Potolbabu Filmstar, he would say, “Okay, please wait a minute,” and taking a piece of paper, would jot down that day’s dialogues (laughs out loud)! Eta khub mojar (It’s very funny). And he would ask, “See, are you liking these lines? Else I can change them a bit.” Nothing is set in stone, everything happens on his set amid such fun that it’s hard to understand that such a big film is getting made. Anurag himself is a very good actor, he can show very well what he is looking for from his actors. But he guides, he doesn’t dictate, and he is very accepting of any kind of improvisation.  

Your gig with the phones was hilarious, but it also depended on very fine comic timing… 

Yes, yes. Actually, you know, whatever scenes I did, I thought they were excellently designed. And many times while we were shooting, I would see people laughing at what we are doing, so I would know that it would work.

What was the experience of shooting with Ranbir Kapoor?

Almost all my scenes are with Ranbir. I found him to be an unbelievably polite person and an extremely good co-actor to have. He is the kind to get up, shake hands and introduce himself, “Hi Sir, I am Ranbir Kapoor.” If during a shot I would ask, “Which action will help you?” he would say, “You do what is convenient for you, I will work with that.” I work like that too, to complement my co-actor, so both of us worked very easily together. That is why he can work his chemistry with any co-actor. He is such a fine actor, among the best in his age. His acting is subtle, often just with the eyes. Watching him perform was a lovely experience.

Are you looking forward to working more in Bollywood now? 

It’s not like I am looking to work in Hindi films very often. I am now getting offers to play a range of characters in Calcutta, in really very different kinds of cinema, not just the formulaic ones. But if there is a good film from a good house, with good remuneration, good lead actors, then of course. It’s not like I am thinking I’ll sacrifice Tollygunge to only work in Bollywood now. I feel I don’t have the capability for that either, because my Hindi is not that good. I get tense when I have to speak in Hindi, so I don’t think I would like that tension all the time. I like to work in a relaxed manner. 

Relaxed manner? Wikipedia lists 103 films under your name!

A lot of information on Wikipedia is incorrect, including this figure. I have worked in 169 films (laughs)! I have tried to balance my work, doing good-quality urban stories, along with some commercial films for the masses. That way I think I am able to satisfy amar moner khide ebong amar deher khide (both my body and my soul).

SC

TEAM T2 LOVE

Bombay Velvet, Tamasha, Ae Dil Hai Mushkil… I had become familiar with Ranbir Kapoor as the heartbroken  passionate lover who would make me sob (not that I am complaining). But in Jagga Jasoos, I found the old RK, the RK who makes me laugh. 

Jagga Jasoos was a much-required break for Ranbir from those back-to-back “intense” roles. The movie as a whole is a like a breath of fresh air from the current films focused on love, or one which comes packaged with at least one remixed retro party song. 

Adventure, nostalgic Bengali connect, the father-son relationship and the poster perfect cinematography made this one-of-a-kind Bolly musical an experience that one shouldn’t miss. 

Every Bengali will connect to the film — references to Netaji, Calcutta, Purulia, gondogol to Satyajit Ray’s Shundi — the film will light up your face with happiness. Not to forget the amazing Bengali team (take a bow Saswata Chatterjee and music man Pritam). 

Although the second half could have been shorter and a few songs less, the narrative kept me engaged till the twist in the end! 

Coming back to Ranbir, it’s amazing to see how he expresses himself even when he is stammering and struggling to speak. And to lip-sync all through an entire movie pretending to sing is a task not easy! Ranbir’s effortless acting and Arijit Singh’s voice in Phir wahi (where he revisits his moments with his father Tooti-Phooti) is one of the best songs, although Galti se mistake is way more peppy and groovy. 

Thank you Anurag Basu, for returning to us that Ranbir who is all fun, goofy and makes us LOL!

Pramita Ghosh

Caught Pahlaj Nihalani bowled Anurag Basu and Ranbir Kapoor.

And you keep whistling and cheering much after the end credits have rolled because you have just watched a film which cocks a snook at the censor board. Through all its tomfoolery and the U/A certificate, Jagga Jasoos has spun a whirligig of terrorism, violence, extramarital affair, blackmail, murder, horror… no fantasy tale this. 

Haw... all taboo topics! It merely borrows its tropes and splashes your screen with colours for the darkness to surface even more. The colour will blind you, but all your other senses will be acutely aware of the sense behind the nonsense of the circus-like world of Jagga. The master stroke? An audience full of kids. Practical, not precocious.

Is Tooti-Phooti modelled on Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose? Do you think he will come back one day to clear up the mess? Is democracy a two-headed monster? Or is it just a myth, much like the two-headed monster? Is the violence we see around just a teaser, again much like the two-headed “monster” who appears as quickly as he disappears at the end of the film? Will terrorism never show itself fully… thus leaving us clueless about the impact it will have in the future? Are democracy and terrorism then two sides of the same coin or has terrorism taken it hostage? Who will have the last laugh? There is clearly a method to Basu’s madness. 

The stage is a character in the film, on which Jagga’s tale is being narrated, clearly a nod to Ranbir Kapoor’s (also the film’s co-producer) grandfather Raj Kapoor, who sang ‘Duniya yeh circus hai’ more than four decades ago in the iconic Mera Naam Joker. 

Jagga, the joker, also tells you to love yourself, accept your flaws and make your weakest point your greatest strength. A hero who stammers? Nah, Jagga is a superhero who uses his magajastra, just like a Feluda fan should, to unravel what is no child’s play! And, do it ‘agapastala’? Wow! Hahahha! More whistles! He makes us believe that being ‘bad-lucky’ can sometimes be good for the world. 

The sing-song dialogues, the choreography, the whole canvas, the celebration of Bengal… Jagga Jasoos has it all. Ranbir Kapoor in the sleuth’s shoes is as perfect as his quiff. Saswata Chatterjee, is well, Saswata Chatterjee. He makes us laugh and cry, like only he can… the tadka which makes this festival of a dish complete. 
Festival indeed, after all, dil ullu ka pattha hai!

Saionee Chakraborty

Ranbir Kapoor is still an underrated actor. That was one of my predominant thoughts while watching Jagga Jasoos. With minimal dialogues, a 34-year-old Ranbir makes Jagga — a 17-year-old schoolboy — his own. The first half of the film reminded me of another Anurag Basu masterpiece, Barfi!, in terms of locations and visuals, but that is actually not a bad thing. 

The rhyming dialogues are quite a novelty in Bollywood. With the Purulia arms drop issue blended into a fun musical, Jagga Jasoos tries something different from the typical song-and-dance fare of B-town! 

Katrina didn’t quite make an impression on me, but special mention must be made of both Saswata Chatterjee as Jagga’s bumbling-fumbling adoptive father and the little kid who plays young Jagga. Bob Biswas is back in Bollywood and how! AND You-Know-Who even in his barely five-second screen time was deliciously evil! With this open ending, I am totally rooting for a sequel. 

Sulogna Ghosh

THE CONTRARIAN

Hello, my name is KK
So excited I was to see JJ 
Dialled two friends and made a plan 
They know how big I am a Ranbir fan 

The movie started and all was well
But by the interval it was far from swell 
Ranbir was good, Katrina weak
And the storyline I was trying to seek 

A little bit of Chatterjee
Miss Mala and the murder strategy 
From the scene of the clock tower 
I was counting seconds to the hour 

Then came along Shruti
Who was just like Tooti-Phooti
I hid my face 
When they said she was a Calcutta journalist

By the time they had reached Shundi 
I buried in my lap my mundi
But the saddest thing was that not one tune
In this musical was catchy to croon 

When the lights came on in the hall
My two friends over me stood tall 
“See families, friends and all the baes
Khana khake, daaru peekey movie hall se chale gaye!”

Anurag Basu did the rules bend 
But to the plot he did not tend 
This galti se mistake no one can mend
The End. 

Karo Christine Kumar