'Abar Proloy': 'Wanted to make OTT debut with a commercial show,' says Raj Chakraborty

Q. Why did you take 10 years to make the sequel?

A. Ten years ago, I made 'Proloy' in a quest to tell my own story by cutting across the remakes. I was very excited actually. But the common people had questioned my shift in the genre. Though I was appreciated well by the media, no one wrote two lines in favour of 'Proloy' back then. So I had to return to the remake kind of films. Then after a phase, again I started telling new stories through 'Adventures of Jojo', 'Parineeta', 'Dharmajuddha'. The audience again called me out for making the so-called 'antel' (a Bengali term referring to a person who pretends to be intelligent) films (laughs). So I felt like going ahead with my choices and making films.

I was also planning to venture into OTT and that too with a commercial show. I had by then chalked out my plan of bringing 'Proloy' character Inspector Animesh Dutta into a franchise because he had a commercial feel.

Subhashree Ganguly (L) and Raj Chakraborty (R) | Photo courtesy: Avishek Mitra/IBNS

Q. Your web series debut and Subhashree’s entry into production have coincided in 'Abar Proloy'.

A. It is always said that the director-producer duo is like husband-wife. A project succeeds when the tuning between the two is perfect. So we started playing that role (laughs). I needed considerable financial support to make 'Abar Proloy'. Other producers would have questioned my 40-day shooting phase or the long cast. I had no room for compromise in this project. When I was thinking who would produce the series, Subhashree supported me as a producer.

Q. You are known for promoting newcomers. How did you do that in 'Abar Proloy'?

A. I always love to promote newcomers. I feel one can evolve working with newcomers and fresh talents. The new gang members (young team) have already created a buzz. If newcomers are not promoted, how would an industry get actors or actresses?

Q. A lot of new elements have also been introduced in 'Abar Proloy'.

A. I introduced new elements because the story is based on human trafficking in Sunderbans coupled with a fiction. Elements, more specifically the commercial ones like dialogue, action, comedy, love, songs, will be present in a fiction. No matter how realistic my projects are, I always rely on these elements.

Q. The looks of Ritwick Chakraborty and Koushani Mukherjee are very unique. How did you cultivate that?

A. It is impossible to state the reasons behind the look of Ritwick. The audience will have to watch 10 episodes to decode that. I wanted to portray Koushani in a different light and prove her mettle as an actor. We generally tend to project commercial actors narrowly. Koushani has acted brilliantly in the series.

(From L to R) Raj Chakraborty, Subhashree Ganguly and Saswata Chatterjee | Photo courtesy: Avishek Mitra/IBNS

Q. Did you feel Ritwick Chakraborty's look may seem similar to that of Pankaj Tripathi in 'Sacred Games'?

A. We have to think beyond what we see. The story lies in the hair only. I can say Pankaj Tripathi's look in 'Sacred Games' was similar to that of Sai Baba. But we never spoke of it. (laughs)

Q. Why did you plan to release 'Abar Proloy' on OTT?

A. It would not have been possible to make a film on this. The series has a lot of layers, characters. The narrative is written on the basis of the web. I would make an ever bigger project for the big screens.

(Photo courtesy: Avishek Mitra/IBNS)