Saswata Chatterjee is already a well-known name in the Bengali film industry, but the actor is cementing her place in Hindi cinema with her many films and OTT projects. After creating a wave with his portrayal of serial killer Bob Biswas in the story, the actor is now balancing work in both the industries. In an interaction with News18.com, Chatterjee shared an anecdote to explain how one film can change one’s entire life and also talked to us about how the Bengali film industry has evolved.
Chatterjee, who was last seen in the recently released web series Mahabharat Murder, also spoke to us about the interesting lineup of his upcoming projects. Interview excerpts:
Tell us about your latest project, Mahabharat Murders.
Mahabharat Murder is taken from a book in which my character Pobitra Chatterjee is CM candidate. It follows a series of murders in Kolkata and from every murder scene, posters of my character’s campaign can be found. And to the masses, Pabitra Chatterjee is like Yudhishthira; There is no one more honest than him. Therefore, when posters of his campaign are found on the murder site, then curiosity arises in the minds of people. An investigation begins and it is discovered that all the murders are similar to the deaths in the Mahabharata. Hence the name of the story is Mahabharata Murder.
How far do you think it has come when it comes to Bengali OTT stories and content?
Both Bengali cinema and OTT have improved a lot. We were passing through an average phase in the middle but nowadays people are going to watch Bengali movies. OTT is also bringing many types of stories. Only one thing is missing – comedy. If comedy is missing from life, it doesn’t feel good. That’s why people are not thinking about more comedy films or series. I think it would be nice if we had more.
With the popularity of OTT, do you think many talented actors are making their way into the mainstream consciousness?
Yes, definitely. OTT has given people a lot of scope and opportunity, something that daily serials used to do once in a while. Many actors came into limelight after doing mega serials, one of them was me. The bigger the platform, the greater the potential for work. A variety of actors, directors, cameramen and many other artists will get the opportunity to work. And we will also get to see many types of stories.
In recent times, films like RRR and Pushpa have gained pan-India popularity. When do you think we can see such a thing for Bengali films?
The Bengali film industry has improved a lot in recent times. People are going to theaters to watch Bengali cinema and those movies are able to draw the crowd. It has also been seen that many people have opted for Bengali films instead of Hindi films, which they did not like. So it’s definitely an improvement. We were going through a phase where we were not able to make very good films so there is no point in blaming the audience.
And the movies you mentioned are larger than life movies and they need to be seen on the big screen. If anyone gets that magnificence from a film, they will definitely watch it.
Talking about Hindi films, how much has the story changed for you?
Let me tell you about an incident. While we were shooting for Kahaani, I went to my makeup van and saw a simple looking gentleman sitting there. We had never seen each other before but congratulated each other. I didn’t get a chance to talk to him much. Then the story was released, and it got good reviews. After that, when I reached the studio during the shooting of Jagga Jasoos, I saw two big buses parked there. ‘Arbaaz Khan’ was written on one and on the other the person I met during the story – Nawazuddin Siddiqui.
So, how a film can completely change one’s life is clear from Nawazuddin Siddiqui. Today we can hardly imagine a film without him. Similarly, the story changed my life as no one in the Hindi industry knew me. Now, when I get to hear that someone like Naseeruddin Shah enjoyed my Bob Biswas character, I feel proud. And for that I thank Sujoy Ghosh.
Your recent film Dhaakad failed to make an impact despite being a big production.
No, it didn’t make any impact. Obviously, that sounds bad. It was a big project. It was removed from the cinema hall even before I could see it. Yet it was a massive project—from its action to its soundtrack. So this was weird for me as well and why it didn’t work.
What upcoming projects can we see you in?
I have a Hindi film, Bad Boy, in which Mithun da’s (Chakraborty) son Namashi is the hero. I worked with Johnny Lever in that film for the first time and I have never seen a down to earth person like him. He is a simple person off-camera but when he comes in front of the camera, it is difficult to maintain his energy level. I have projects in the pipeline which I shot for just one day as the makers have to destroy the sets. It was a scene with Deepika Padukone. I don’t know when that film will be completed as it has a huge star cast with Deepika, Prabhas and Amitabh Bachchan.
I also did a Hindi series with Pratim Dasgupta and there is another Netflix Original with Anurag Kashyap again. Then I have the Bengali series Mahabharat Murder and another one for ZEE5.
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