MAACHER JHOL MAKER PRATIM D. GUPTA TAKES T2 THROUGH THE CAST OF HIS NEXT, AHARE MON
Adil Hussain: He was the last to come on board. I feel it’s almost an achievement that he’s doing my film. I have been a huge admirer of Adil’s work. Not just in arthouse films like Mukti Bhawan and Kothanodi but even what he does with his characters in mainstream Bollywood films. He plays my most favourite character in Ahare Mon — a lonely but content airport employee. I had thought of this story many, many years back and I used to always imagine Mithun Chakraborty playing the part. I believe Adil will take it to another level.
Paoli Dam: You give her a long monologue, then you turn the camera on and you watch her go at it. After Maacher Jhol, I wrote Mirchi Malini (a one-hour Hindi film for STAR Plus) with her in mind and now I can’t imagine doing a film without her. She comes so prepared and always has so many options for the same line. She is an absolute delight to work with. In Ahare Mon, she plays a high-flying independent woman who’s a bit ahead of her times.
Anjan Dutt: I would never go to him unless I have something special to offer. I think the first three or four scripts I ever wrote, all were written with Anjanda in mind. But I didn’t want to see him as Jimmy Luke again, at least not right away. I wanted to see him as a regular middle-class man. I wanted the actor to push aside the star in him. And that’s exactly what Barun Babu is — an ordinary man with an extraordinary heart.
Ritwick Chakraborty: I write characters with him in mind and here, too, Michael is a tribute to the treasure trove of talent that is Ritwick. He is incredibly funny in real life with an understated sense of humour and this character is culled from that infectious mix of charm and wit.
Chitrangada Chakraborty: She’s the new girl in the cast. We auditioned a lot of young girls for the character of Titli, including known faces. Chitra, who stays in Mumbai, just happened to be in Calcutta at that time. I had seen her plays and found her performances captivating. Her audition was just right and having already shot with her for the film, I can say she’s the surprise package in this heap of amazing actors in Ahare Mon.
Parno Mittra: Suzie, too, is written with Parno in mind. There’s a lovely fluidity in her performance which has always fascinated me. Also, comedy is extremely tough and she is very good at it. Much of the Ritwick-Parno story and the way their characters unfold is carved out from the chemistry they share.
Mamata Shankar: I’m so glad that she was the Maa in Maacher Jhol. I’m not saying this because I got to work with such a fine actor. But because I got to know this incredible person who, I can proudly say, is like family now. I know she would only say ‘yes’ if the script and character work and when she jumped at the narration of Ahare Mon, I was relieved. Her character is again completely different from that in Maacher Jhol — more fun, yet layered.
