From a jilted lover to a man with a purpose, Abir Chatterjee has aced every role that he has played on the big screen. After almost thirteen successful years in the Bengali film industry, Abir also made his Hindi OTT debut with Avrodh 2. But, he is back on the big screen with the biggest Bengali release of this year, ‘Karna Subarner Guptodhon’ the third part of the much-celebrated Guptodhon franchise.
In a fun conversation with News18, he not only talks about his new release but also talks about playing iconic literary characters like Byomkesh Bakshi and takes us through the process of separating characters that can often be deemed as similar in nature along with addressing how well his contemporaries are doing on the national platform.
Excerpts from the interview:
How does it feel to come back on screen as Sona da after almost three years?
I am not sure, because it is a big release and at the same time Durga Puja is on, I can see long queues and traffic already. I have a lot of work during Pujas but the biggest thing to happen is the release of our movie, the trio is back after three years. I am slightly confused about how I am feeling, I am tensed because of all the positive reactions and in a way I am happy that I am so occupied at the moment because then I do not realise how tense I am. But I am happy for sure.
You have portrayed the role of Feluda as well as Byomkesh, both of which are iconic characters. However, Sona da is fairly new to the audience. Do you feel there is a pressure on you at all times?
Pressure is there but that is what I am supposed to do after spending thirteen years in the film industry, this is what I look forward to because I have got so much from the industry. This is my time to give back.
I have done just one Feluda and now the chapter has been closed. I would not like to discuss much about Feluda, but Byomkesh happened at the beginning of my career, it was my second film. The kind of adulation I got for playing the character was a big surprise. Being a Byomkesh fan it was a huge honour when people came to me and appreciated the way I played the character.
Now, coming back to Sona da, it does not have any literary background. This is perhaps the first time in the Bengali film industry’s history, that these three characters were meant for the big screen only. People loved the trio and the reception was beyond my expectations.
The basic difference between Sona da and Byomkesh is that the former is much more approachable as a character. That’s the biggest USP of Sona da.
Your approaches towards Byomkesh Bakshi and Sona da are prominently different. Can you take us through your process?
Byomkesh has a literary background. Being a huge fan of Byomkesh I knew what the character is. I have evolved as an actor with Byomkesh Bakshi. On the other hand, Sona da was created out of nothing. The portrayal and the development of the character has been more relevant to the current times. Byomkesh is from a different era while Sona da is more relevant to the current generation.
As an actor do you ever fear that people will start questioning your versatility as an actor?
I don’t think so. These speculations have been there. A section of people thinks that I only do thrillers but the truth is that if you go through my filmography, you will see that I have played many different roles and fortunately some of them have garnered good numbers at the box office as well. Sona da and Byomkesh Bakshi have become iconic characters which is why people come to me and discuss them. Bengali film lovers have a liking for thrillers. I would love to explore other genres also, and I am already doing it.
You made your Hindi OTT debut this year, but your Hindi film debut happened way back with Kahaani. Are there any new projects in the pipeline that we should look forward to?
I am in talks with some of them but nothing that constructive has happened. If you look at my filmography, I have always followed the principle of slow but steady, I am not hurrying anything, let me wait for the right opportunity. Kahaani was a huge success. People still remember me for Kahaani. There is a common joke that I crack which is, it is because of me that Kahaani happened.
People were asking me the same because a few of my colleagues, my friends are doing exceptionally well on the national platform – be it Jisshu (Sengupta), Parambrata (Chatterjee), Paoli (Dam) or Swastika (Mukerjee). I keep telling that I am waiting for the right opportunity and the right role.
After the warm reactions I got for Avrodh season 2, now people know why I was waiting for a long time. I would definitely love to work more on the national platform if the story and characters excite me.
Are there any actors and directors you want to work with on the national platform?
I am still a debutant on the national platform. I am open to working with all.
Going back to Karna Subarne’r Guptodhon, will there be more films in the Sona da franchise after this?
I don’t know. It is too early to answer this question. When we started the first film, we planned to make three more. But what happens now depends on many other factors. According to me, if we have a good script, then only we should make another film. The quality of the content should not be compromised. I think there is time to plan.
