Filmmaker Sayantan Ghosal’s latest film, Sonar Kellay Jawker Dhan, reunites the popular trio — Bimal, Kumar, and Ruby — as they embark on a new adventure in the Golden Fortress of Rajasthan. This time, the story features an intriguing twist involving a spin-off on the character Mukul from Satyajit Ray’s Sonar Kella. A t2 chat with Parambrata Chattopadhyay and Gaurav Chakrabarty, who play Bimal and Kumar...
How adventurous are you as individuals?
Gaurav: I would like to believe I am quite adventurous! (Both laugh)
Parambrata: I realised much later in life that I’m actually quite adventurous — at least compared to many of my peers. This has been more of an unconscious choice. I took three flights and travelled somewhere, drove all across Europe by myself... and it was only after sharing these experiences with people that they found them astonishing. Many of the things I’ve done are indeed adventurous, but I never really thought about them as such while doing them. They just happened, and later, I recognised them as fairly adventurous.
Gaurav: My most adventurous experience involved Rajasthan. We drove from Bombay to Rajasthan, travelling through places like Tanot to the 1971 war tank graveyard. At one point, our car got stuck in the sand, and we had no network or anyone with us. It became quite the story — a crazy adventure that turned out to be a lot of fun in hindsight!
Sonar Kella holds a permanent nostalgic place in the hearts of Bengalis, and the team has high expectations to meet with this film in terms of the franchise as well as the audience’s love for Sonar Kella. So, what can people expect from the film, which is playing in theatres now?
Gaurav: Viewers can look forward to Bimal and Kumar’s next great adventure. Ruby teams up with Mukul, which sets the stage for the adventure. With two worlds merging, there’s much for the audience to anticipate — travel, action, fun, and cultural elements combined. We’ve worked hard to make it an enjoyable experience for everyone. It is releasing during the summer vacations and is a film meant for children and a family-watch, we hope people will flock to the theatres more than once.
Parambrata: Over time, this franchise has grown significantly. It has expanded in terms of scale and magnitude. The first film was set in the hills of North Bengal. It was a new producer with a limited budget, leading to some constraints. Nonetheless, everyone managed to make it look impressive. In our second outing, we had a huge production in Thailand, and this time, it’s in Rajasthan, amidst the sand — this is the biggest of the three.
Was the action challenging at any point, especially with action scenes set in the desert?
Parambrata: Gaurav and I aren’t really action heroes, per say, which makes it interesting when we’re offered such roles. I’ve done some action in Kahaani and a bit in Feluda, but not extensively in any Bengali film. It wasn’t troublesome, as both Gaurav and I are fit individuals. We enjoy staying active and sporty. While we do eat rice, we aren’t really bheto! We like to remain quite fit.
Gaurav: Yes! In Abar Proloy, I had a lot of action choreography. Interestingly, since that film, and now Jawker Dhan, people have been offering me many more action roles, which is exciting. Growing up idolising (Amitabh) Bachchan, it’s fantastic to be involved in action sequences.
How nostalgic were you both while filming the scenes with Mukul?
Parambrata: Personally, I try to set aside those feelings while shooting. I think viewers who hold onto that nostalgia will truly enjoy the film.
Gaurav: The only nostalgic aspect for me was that our shoot took place in Sonar Kella.
Parambrata: I have worked with Suprabhat (Das, who plays Mukul) before, and I think he’s incredibly good in this film. In a project like this, there’s often limited scope for performance appreciation since it revolves around action and adventure. Everyone has their role to play — the good person, the bad person, and the villain — and it often leans into mythical and folklore themes. However, Suprabhat’s performance really stands out.
What are your memories from the set?
Gaurav: Inside Sonar Kella was chaotic. That’s what I remember. We have to give credit to Sayantan for pulling off something like this. Shooting in a space like this wasn’t easy. As actors, we did our part, and the team did theirs, but no bystanders interfered with the shoot, which is a testament to how Sayantan planned everything. The scenes in the desert is something I will always cherish — the visuals and the weather were amazing!
Parambrata: I have to give credit to Sayantan and Surinder Films for making this happen. We didn’t just stay around the edges of the desert; we actually ventured deep inside to shoot. We did action scenes on sand dunes and on the backs of camels, which is a daunting task given the resources we had for a Bengali film. You started off by asking how adventurous we are; well, the fact that we ventured into Bengali films is itself an adventure! (Both laugh)
After all those camel sequences, did any of you experience back problems like Lalmohan Babu?
Parambrata: (Laughs) Fortunately, no! There’s actually a rhythm to it. Once you adjust to that rhythm, it’s okay. But if you expect it to feel like an Innova car seat, then it’s difficult! It’s the top of a camel, which has its own moods and whims. We shot for almost a whole day, and I think the one who felt most like Lalmohan Babu was Shaheb (Chattopadhyay). (Both laugh)
Out of the cast, who was the most mischievous on set?
Gaurav: Paramda, no doubt about it! I’m the youngest, so I can’t really pull their leg!
Parambrata: I’d pull pranks with a poker face, though it’s not as much fun without the right vessel! With Shaheb around, I felt like jumping in on the fun. I’ve known him for so long, and I find him very funny; I know exactly what rattles him. I enjoy pulling tricks on Koel too, but her reactions are different because she’s wittier. She knows how to handle it. With Shaheb, the reward is just different! (Laughs)
Did Param pull any tricks on you, Gaurav?
Parambrata: He’s like a brother to me! I’m a bit protective of him at times. Given that Shaheb is older than me, I find it even funnier to tease him.
Gaurav: Yeah, both Koeldi and Paramda treat me like a younger brother. This is my fourth film with Koeldi, and it just gets better with her. She has given me a lot of advice on parenthood, which she’s now giving to Paramda.
Gaurav, you are now a pro in parenting, and Parambrata is about to begin that journey. Do you have any tips for him?
Gaurav: I remember that time very well. I didn’t even know how to hold a baby! Ridhima and I have been trying to share whatever little knowledge we have.
Parambrata: They’ve been really helpful. They’ve come over with gifts, and Ridhima has taken Piya shopping. Gaurav, Ridhima, and Subhashree have been a great support, and now Koel has joined the advisory committee with her sage advice.
Parambrata, you’re excited, but are you also nervous?
Parambrata: I am a little nervous. I have to admit that I don’t think the feeling will sink in until it actually happens. It’s really close now, so I’m excited but also a bit nervous.
You have so many films lined up. How are you planning to cherish this special journey?
Parambrata: I’ve taken a paternity break since mid-May for a significant amount of time. However, I still have some commitments — meetings, post-production work on films, previews for VFX and music, and promotions for upcoming releases. I’m hoping that once this film is released, I can focus on post-release work and monitoring of scripts, but I will take a good amount of time off for the whole month of June and even afterward. I think I will be less involved before I start working again.
Gaurav, did you also take a paternity break? And how important was it for you as a father?
Gaurav: Yes, I did. I remember the last project I worked on was Paramda’s Parnashavarir Shaap. Dheer was born in September, and we shot until May. Then I took three months off, and I stayed at home for about a month after Dheer was born. I made that decision intentionally, and fortunately, I could do it. It’s not always possible though. I saw how much Ridhima appreciated it. The responsibility doesn’t fall only on her. It’s a physically challenging time for women. Just being there makes a lot of difference.
During an outdoor shoot, you have to spend long hours on set. Does it get easier if it is in a place like Sonar Kella, where there’s so much to explore, or is it difficult to be in character with all the chaos around?
Gaurav: For me, it gets easier. The weather was fantastic, so doing physically strenuous work became easy. And, in a place like this, when you don’t have a shot, you can just walk down the stairs and go around. And with Sayantan’s team and the co-actors, it was a lot of fun.
Parambrata: I mean easy in the sense that it’s a franchise which I like doing and I’m in the company of people and co-actors who I quite like. Rajasthan has been a favourite of mine for its culture. I have been there quite a few times, it is absolutely stunning and beautiful. The local music, food — everything has a beautiful charm which speaks so much of antiquity. Wherever I go, I like to mingle with the locals a bit and that happened in Rajasthan as well.
