Srijit Mukherji’s upcoming film Lawho Gouranger Naam Rey is the first Bengali feature film to be shot on the Jagannath Temple premises in Puri, Dibyojyoti Dutta, who plays Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in the film, told The Telegraph Online.

The film, which spans multiple timelines and features historical as well as contemporary characters, is set to hit theatres on 25 December.

The narrative moves between the present day and the 19th century, bringing together figures such as Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Nati Binodini and Girish Ghosh, alongside a present-day filmmaker and a superstar. The filmmaker character is shown working on a project based on the life of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

Isha Saha portrays the contemporary director.

Dutta said he was asked to undergo a physical transformation for the role. “The first thing he told me was that I would have to lose weight. I would have to look like Chaitanyadev. He asked how long it would take me to slim down. I thought for four-five seconds and said three months. He told me the shoot would start in June. I hit my target weight on time,” the actor said.

Dutta said he was keen to ensure the portrayal was convincing, particularly in terms of voice modulation across different phases of Sri Chaitanya’s life. “I was worried about his voice… I asked Srijit da. He asked if I had any reference. Naturally, I said I didn’t have a 500-year-old reference. He told me to do it my way and said he would point it out if it was wrong. I did it my way,” he said.

Sri Chaitanya has been portrayed by several actors in the past, including Jisshu Sengupta. On comparisons, Dutta said, “If I am compared with Jisshu da, I would feel blessed. I would feel that at least I am managing to do something.”

Dutta, a well known face on television, added that it was his privilege to make his big screen debut under Mukherji’s direction. “A dream come true,” he said.

Isha Saha, who plays the director researching Sri Chaitanya’s life, said working on the film gave her the opportunity to visit Puri for the first time. “I went to Puri for the first time because of this film. On the first day, I offered prayers at the temple. The very next day, my first shot was inside the temple premises,” she said.

Asked about preparation for her role, Saha said the cast undertook reading and discussions on Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu before the shoot. “Going to the floor without studying the person the film is about would not have been right. Our producer Rana da (Sarkar) narrated many stories about Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Those helped a lot,” she said.

Both actors said shooting inside the Jagannath Temple was an emotionally intense experience. Dutta said he was overwhelmed while filming near the Garuda Stambha inside the temple complex.