Saswata-Raima’s word play

In Rangan Chakravarty’s Friday release Baari Tar Bangla, Raima Sen plays a psychiatrist who helps Saswata Chatterjee’s Roopchand overcome his problem of not being able to express himself in Bengali. t2 chats with the fun couple.

Saswata, did you teach Raima some Bengali while doing Baari Tar Bangla?

Saswata: I forgot Bangla while doing the film! (Laughs out loud)

Raima: Well that’s the storyline. He forgets Bangla and he comes to me to learn. So you can understand why he’s forgotten Bengali!

Raima, could you teach Saswata some English?

Saswata: She doesn’t let me be anywhere near her when she’s shooting!

Raima: He can’t watch any of my shots. So when I am giving a shot, even if he is in the shot with me, he has to look elsewhere, not at me. And if I am doing a solo shot, he is not supposed to be there anywhere on the floor!

Why?

Saswata: She gets nervous when I am around!

Raima: I get nervous because he is such a great actor. And I feel he might be judging me, so now he knows. So if we are doing a romantic shot, he looks at my hair and I am allowed to look wherever I want to!

Raima, what’s the first Bengali word you picked up?

Raima: Ma.

Saswata, the first English word you learnt?

Saswata: I can’t say that here, I have said that in the film!

Raima: No, but you have to say it.

Saswata: The letter A. Though I have studied in an English medium school, I don’t really speak in English. I am not very comfortable speaking in English. Raima and I are totally opposite as far as language is concerned!

Raima, one Bengali word you always say...

Raima: Ishh.

Saswata, one English word you always say...

Saswata: F***!

Raima, have you ever goofed up while speaking in Bengali?

Raima: Oh many times! While saying my dialogues...

Saswata, what about you?

Raima: Yes, he has! He said ‘election’ for ‘erection’! (Laughs)

Saswata: I always go prepared where I have to speak in English and since my wife (Mohua) teaches in an English school, the guidance is there. And even if I speak wrong English I don’t always realise it!

Raima, in Tollywood whose Bengali do you admire?

Raima: Rituda’s (Rituparno Ghosh), and also Kaushik Ganguly.

Saswata, in Tollywood whose English do you admire?

Saswata: Dhritiman Chaterji.