NEW FRONTIERS

AFTER RULING OVER THE BENGALI BOX OFFICE FOR DECADES, PROSENJIT CHATTERJEE IS WINNING HEARTS ON OTT, FINDS SUMAN SHARMA

- SUMAN SHARMA

Prosenjit is 60 but his fitness levels can give 30 year olds a run for their money. He's been wowing audiences in Bengal since mid80s and now, thanks to the success of shows like Jubilee and Scoop, he has found a pan-Indian audience. His portrayal of the larger-than-life studio owner Srikant Roy is a homage to the filmmakers of a bygone era who lived and breathed films. His character's every thought and action is dedicated to making a hit film and he's willing to sacrifice everything - relationships, marriage, even his sanity, in pursuit of that. So seamless is his performance that it looks like a role written just for him. The star talks about rejuvenation and more in a riveting interview...

Your performance in Jubilee has been immensely appreciated…

What I liked about the character (Srikant Roy) is that he is a man who is passionate about cinema. Even though he did many wrong things, when he died, people who watched the show said that we were in tears. It’s because he didn’t do anything for himself; he did everything for the cinema and his studio. I loved the grey area of that character. I am getting praise from the audience, and of course, from the industry people in Kolkata, Mumbai, and at the national level too.

What made you say yes to this role?

I enjoy working with new-age directors, and Vikramaditya Motwane is one of them. I have watched all his work, starting with Udaan. When he came to Kolkata and told me about the vision of the show, I being a student of cinema, knew what he was trying to build, and I instantly said yes. He just said, ‘Dada, I want that Indian godfather kind of feel…’ I enjoyed playing this character.

How much of Prosenjit do we see in Roy’s character?