SPOTLIGHT

Soham and Subhashree play love birds in Bajimaat

Subhashree

She’s the new heroine on the block...

Waiting to be unveiled next Friday. After debuting as Jeet’s sister in Prabhat Roy’s Pitribhoomi last year, Subhashree is the leading lady in Haranath Chakraborty’s Bajimaat, which releases on June 6. “It’s a dream come true.... I play Jhilik in the film, who comes from Siliguri to Calcutta to pursue her dream of becoming a famous singer,” says the 18-year-old.

Like Jhilik, Subhashree moved from Burdwan to Calcutta...

To chase her dreams two years ago. Before the acting bug bit her, Subhashree wanted to fly high. “I wanted to be an air hostess. But after winning Anandalok Nayikar Khonje, I gave up that idea. I fell in love with the world of glamour,” she smiles.

The Anandalok Nayikar Khonje award paved her way to tinsel town...

Prabhat Roy, one of the judges at Anandalok Nayikar Khonje, later offered her the role in Pitribhoomi. “After that I did an Oriya film Mot Ta Love Hela Re. Then I met Pijush Shah, the producer of Bajimaat. He took my audition and cast me in the leading role,” says the Class XII student of Municipal Girls’ School, Burdwan.

Her sights are now set on lead roles only...

“Post Bajimaat, I don’t want to play a sister or any side role.... My Tollywood idols are Ritudi (Rituparna Sengupta) and Koeldi (Koel Mullick). I like their work but I don’t imitate them,” says she.

But studies won’t take a backseat...

Promises Subhashree, “I want to join college in Calcutta and finish my studies and I would love to work opposite Bumbada (Prosenjit) in my next film. With him, of course, I don’t mind playing a sister!”

Soham

He is a veteran of sorts, with 50 films to his credit...

But all these have been bit roles as a child artiste. Haranath Chakraborty’s Bajimaat is where Soham is playing the leading man for the first time. No doubt, he is having butterflies in his stomach. “I had to shoulder the responsibility of the entire film and though I am excited, I am also anxious,” says Soham, who plays Subhro, an aspiring singer vaults several hurdles before achieving his dream.

Years ago, Soham had played Sharmila Tagore and Ranjit Mullick’s son...

In Mangaldeep, directed by Haranath. “My first film as a grown-up was Tarun Majumdar’s Chander Bari, where I was paired opposite Koel Mullick,” says the 24-year-old. Soham finished his graduation last year and is all set to take on Tollywood.

His filmi career took off when he was...

Barely three. “Director Anjan Chowdhury was a family friend. He was looking for a child actor for his film Chhoto Bou. He saw me and offered me the role. My mother was reluctant initially, but Anjan uncle assured her that my studies wouldn’t suffer. I did several films after that and in most of them I played Bumbamama’s (Prosenjit) childhood,” says Soham.

But the feather in his cap is Satyajit Ray’s Shakha Proshakha...

Where Soham played Mamata Shankar and Dipankar De’s son. “I was only five years old then but I remember Satyajit Ray telling me that he was very happy working with two child artistes — one was Kushal Chakraborty and the other one was me!”