Indian actor Saswata Chatterjee has come to Dhaka for the very first time in his life. He’s debuting in Bangladesh with ‘Gulmohar’. Director Syed Ahmed Shawki is making this web series for Chorki. He engaged in a lively conversation with Makful Hossain and talked about ‘Gulmohar' as well as his recently released Telegu film ‘Kalki’ at the Chorki office last Thursday.
Kolkata and Dhaka shares the same language and the culture is similar. How do you feel coming to Dhaka for the first time?
Many aren’t even believing that it is my first time visiting Bangladesh. I haven’t visited even once in all these years. The immense hospitality I have seen since stepping down at the airport! First, the person who did the immigration check at the airport gave me smile. Then the armed forces (Armed Police Battalion) members demanded that I have to have a cup of coffee and I cannot leave without having the coffee and taking pictures with them! I went to the hotel from the airport and the person who was opening the front doors also showed me such warmth. I had not expected this much warmth. I am receiving ten times more affection than what I had anticipated.
Did you ever realise, you have so many fans in Bangladesh?
I had no idea. As far as I knew, the audience here doesn’t watch that many films from there except from the television. They might be watching them now thanks to the OTTs. But, I didn’t know they watch our films to this extent. Tareen and Jaya had given me some ideas saying, “Be a little careful when you get there. Keep your masks and cap on.” But, I didn’t expect this much love at all.
Many of your contemporary actors have been working in Dhaka for long and the Dhaka-based artistes have also been working in Kolkata. What took you so long?
I don’t know actually, there might have been some or other reasons that I hadn’t worked in Dhaka until now. I had been given offers once or twice, but probably there were some hitches with the visa or other procedures then. So, I couldn’t do those projects. I had to face some complications even this time but, finally I’m here.
Why did you choose the series ‘Gulmohar’?
I was pitched the story at first. I had found the story very interesting and there’s emotion in it. People are becoming less emotional these days. We have become too calculative and emotions have vanished. I was offered the project by Anindo Banerjee (head of content at Chorki). Anindo is an old friend of mine and we have started our careers almost at the same time. I have full confidence in him. He would never ask me to do a shoddy project. Then I received the script and listened to it. Plus, there was another reason -- I would be visiting Bangladesh.
He (Shawki) somewhat silently controls the whole affair of the shooting. You don’t hear his voice that much at the shooting set. He’s cool headed and I have this belief that any person with a cool head delivers quality work.Saswata Chatterjee
The director of this series, Shawki is one of the most promising web series directors of Dhaka at present. Did you have any prior knowledge of Shawki’s work?
I didn’t have any ida. But, some people had told me that he’s an good director. Either Jaya Ahsan or Tareen had told me that he’s doing great in Bangladesh. Now that I have worked with him (Shawki), I can say that he knows what he wants and what he doesn’t want. He somewhat silently controls the whole affair of the shooting. You don’t hear his voice that much at the shooting set. He’s cool headed and I have this belief that any person with a cool head delivers quality work. It’s difficult for hot headed people to produce good projects.
Do you watch Dhallywood films?
At one time I have watched a lot of Bangladeshi films. We used to watch dramas tuning into Bangladeshi channels using boosters on the television antenna when we were young. Bangladeshi films have changed a lot now. And it’s moving towards better quality I believe.
At one time I have watched a lot of Bangladeshi films. We used to watch dramas tuning into Bangladeshi channels using boosters on the television antenna when we were young.Saswata Chatterjee
Now it’s the time of OTT and quality web series are being produced in Dhaka. Do you watch series?
I have built a habit of watching OTTs. However, I don’t usually start a series unless I have a few days of time at hand. Films can be easily watched within a break of just two to two and a half hours’ time, but it takes time to watch series. I have to worry whether I would have free time in the next five days or not. So, I try to finish it in one go by bingeing.
You have played a villain in the mega-budget Telegu film ‘Kalki AD’ that has released recently. How was the work experience?
Except for the artistes and some props including the ships, the whole film is made based on imagination. We had to shoot in front of a blue screen from our imagination. This was a whole new experience for me. During the shooting I was being told, a missile is coming from that direction and you have to act like you are avoiding it by stooping down or the ship just swayed a little and you have to swing towards the right a bit now. And the most dreadful part was speaking in Telegu. To be honest just having a star cast of this level and having the money isn’t enough, one has to think of the idea and present it visually also. That has been done wonderfully in this film.
You got to be in touch with legendary artistes like Amitabh Bachchan and Kamal Hassan while you also had superstars like Prabhas and Deepika Padukone as your co-actors in the film.
I was in a daze on the day of shooting with Kamal Hassan sir for the first time. I just couldn’t believe I was working with him. I came to cinema seeing Amitabh Bachchan or Kamal Hassan only. On the first day in my bewilderment I touched his (Kamal Hassan) feet. He held my hands lightly and told me something that didn’t catch properly. Later I realised he said, ‘Aisa mat karo (don’t do this)’. At the shooting set, all the time he was sitting by himself in the chair and nobody would bother him much. Whenever it was time for giving a shot he would go give the shot and then silently come back to his chair again. Those who have watched ‘Kalki’, knows what is Kamal Hassan’s look here? It’s terrifying. But, you could have never guessed it from the set.
Prabhas and Deepika have become such mega stars on their own merit. They are extremely open-hearted people. While returning after finishing the shooting Prabhas told me, “Dada, you have acted really well.” As long as Deepika would be in front of the camera she would be inside of her character. But outside of the camera, Deepika always had a smile stuck to her face. You can learn a lot from working with them.
Apart from Tollygunge, You have also worked in Bollywood and South Indian films. It is said that Kolkata-based films are moving backwards, do you feel the same?
Tollygunge too had a golden era once and it wasn’t called the golden era without a reason. Best directors, actors and actresses worked on best literature and best stories then. Films back then might not have been technologically advanced that much, but there was emotion in them.
In the nineties, Bangladeshi films had started being remade there (Tollygunge). South Indian films would also be remade then. Bangla literature seemed to have vanished for some time in the middle, now it’s making a comeback again I believe. It’s returning in both the Bengals. May be that’s how trends are -- one time it will do better and then it will go through a transformation again. Without going downwards, there remains no scope for moving upwards either. If we always keep climbing we might tumble down (laughter).
You have worked in Tollygunge for decades, yet you had not earned that much of a recognition. Once you worked in the Bollywood film ‘Kahani’, you created a buzz everywhere. Basically, your acceptance in Tollygunge started growing after that. Is this an innate tendency of the Bengalis to not recognise someone until they earn recognition from outside?
This happened with Satyajit Ray also, why me alone? While making his first film, he even had to stop for the shortage of funds. When he won awards and received recognition from abroad after finishing the film, only then the Bengalis looked up at him. That’s natural. You tend to overlook your own people. This might be equally applicable to them as well.
The frenzy of fans sometimes also disturbs the privacy of the stars. How’s your experience?
Whenever we feel like being alone we go on vacation. I get oxygen when we go travelling. Then again, these things (frenzy of fans) should be enjoyed after all. Otherwise I would have ended up a failed actor.
Why did you choose to become an actor?
Even I don’t know. I didn’t plan on becoming anything and I didn’t have any goals in my life. Like any other boys I used to hang out with my friends around the corner. I used to think I had my father (Shubhendu Chattopadhyay) there, why do I need to worry? One day my father said, “You should think about yourself a little. Your parents won’t be there forever. What do you want to be?” I said, “I want to act.” My father said, “What do you mean you want to act?” I said, “Yes. Acting is a good profession. And you can travel to different places because of acting. All the responsibility of everything you eat or do at the shooting from morning till night is on the producer.” Hearing me talk my father asked, “You think we go on vacation?” I replied, “No, but you do get to travel as a bonus.”
My father had me admitted into a Charbak theatre group. Sabyasachi Chakrabarty also acted there. In the first one and a half years, my job was to clean up the rehearsal room, carrying the lights in the set and giving proxy for others. On the day of the show, preparing the set or fixing the lights, I have done it all. Only then I got the chance to act.
How did you get your first break?
I had gotten a role of ten seconds that had only one dialogue towards the end among five episodes. Yeah, I debuted with a character like that.
Going back in your memories to those days, how right do you think the decision was?
I don’t look back at all. When I’ll sign another film tomorrow, I’ll do it by my choice. That’s how I see life. I don’t plan about what I’ll be doing in the next five years. Because, what films I’ll be getting is not in my hands. But, which film I won’t be doing is in my hands. When I get offers, I’ll choose my way through them and move ahead. I don’t know what I’ll be doing tomorrow. My ideology is that I’ll live well today.
A long time ago I had learned from an interview that you use mobile phones in a limited manner. What’s the secret?
Nobody has seen me using mobile phone the entire day, today. I have a rule that I check my phone once in the morning. When I go to work, I keep it on flight mode. Then I switch it on straight after going to the hotel and then I talk to my family members. Meanwhile, I’ll just check whatever everyone has sent me on the WhatsApp a little and reply back if needed. And the phone will be switched off all night.
It’s true that phones have become a necessity now, but it’s used unnecessarily most of the time. The addiction of phones is a dangerous one. There are rehabilitation centres for curing other addictions, but there’s no such thing to get rid of phone addiction though.Saswata Chatterjee
That means you use the phone, the phone doesn’t use you.
It has been just five years, I took a smartphone. I have used landlines before and I use it even now. It’s true that phones have become a necessity now, but it’s used unnecessarily most of the time. The addiction of phones is a dangerous one. There are rehabilitation centres for curing other addictions, but there’s no such thing to get rid of phone addiction though.
People talking on the phone in the cinema halls is bad enugh, but how can anyone use phone in the theatre? Many even click pictures. When you are taking photos you are not thinking about the scene anymore. Mobile phones disrupt people’s attention and using phone all the time is a terrible habit.
What projects do you have in the pipeline?
A Bangla film titled ‘Eta Amader Golpo’ is running in the theatre right now. Meanwhile ‘Kalki’ is creating a stir all over the world. Now I’m shooting for the Chorki project. Plus, I am shooting for Hindi series ‘Khakee 2’. And, I have worked in the film ‘Metro In Dino’, directed by Anurag Basu also.