Man behind the mask

ACE ACTOR DIBYENDU BHATTACHARYA OPENS UP ABOUT HIS LIFE AND CAREER IN A CHAT WITH DEVESH SHARMA

- DEVESH SHARMA

Dibyendu Bhattacharya is still a Behala boy from Kolkata at heart, who misses the urban-rural confluence that's still found in Bengal's capital city. "There used to be a small pond just five minutes away from my house when I was growing up. It's still there. It gives me a sense of peace visiting these places but the journeys to Kolkata have been few and far between these days," he says. His father's elder brother was a Jatra artiste and another uncle was into theatre. Music and culture is a part of most Bengali households. He also learnt to sing and perform the tabla grouping up. He has even given four exams for tabla under the Gandharva Vidyalaya, but couldn't complete the course. He was fascinated by theatre not just acting, but also the craft of theatre. And thanks to his uncle used, he to get involved in the lighting department and the production design in theatre from a young age.

After doing theatre in Kolkata, he made up his mind to study drama and enrolled at the National School of Drama (NSD), Delhi. Rajpal Yadav was his batchmate there. Swanand Kirkire, Geetanjali Kulkarni, Atul Kulkarni, Ashutosh Rana were his seniors. He even met his future wife Richa, who was his junior at the institute. Reflecting on their relationship, he shares, "It's good to have a partner who understands your profession. She knows what kind of actor I am and hence her advice is always valuable. Her criticism too is spot on." This mutual understanding has undoubtedly enriched both their personal and professional lives. His children, son Shaurya and daughter Norah, are more interested in sports and academics currently and haven't shown any inclination of following their parents' profession. "This generation is much more intelligent than ours ever was. I've assured them of our support every step of the way in whatever they want to pursue. That's all a parent needs to do, according to me."