Byomkesh Abir Chatterjee turns nostalgic at the Taj Gateway Hotel's cake mixing ceremony

Speaking on the concept of cake mixing and the intricacies of plum cakes and plum puddings, chef Asish Kumar Roy said, “Usually, in a cake like this, 13 types of components should always be present. According to me, cakes like this should not be kept for more than a month as it can develop an acidic flavour. While many people keep it for 3 to 6 months, I feel one month is best as too much soaking of the batter will not necessarily bring the best results. According to history, the cake is usually made on the 13th Sunday after forty days post Easter. This is because it’s devoted to Lord Jesus.”

“As far as the cake is concerned, usually two types of recommended liquor are usually used, rum and brandy, though other liquors can also be used. Among spices, cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg -roasted and powdered -along with blackjack, which is a sugar solution, boiled and reduced alternately. Golden syrup and honey also go into the mixture. The mixture is almost identical for plum pudding, except that plum pudding is softer in texture, and is made on a double boiler by a steaming process, and is garnished and decorated”, elaborated the chef.

Speaking on the various ingredients of the cake mix, pastry chef Deep Mitra Thakur said, "The different components include lemon peel, orange peel, cashew nuts, cooking apples, tutti frutti, dates, figs, almonds, ginger powder, red cherries, black currants, glazed cherries, and the main spice mix of cinnamon, nutmeg, star anise etc. Wine is obviously an integral part. Blending of the ingredients is the integral part and the secret to any successful cake or pudding.”

Actor Abir Chatterjee travelled back in time as he spoke at length about Christmas of his childhood and his film career.

"I remember this time last year, we had started shooting for Byomkesh. Arindam-da is planning to make this event a signature Byomkesh style event. Because, whenever you say Christmas, the first thing that comes to mind is a cake. Thus probably he (Arindam Sil) wants to achieve the same thing, that whenever you say Christmas, you think of Byomkesh. It’s a fun thing, and since all of us are fond of cakes, we’ll probably feel that we have contributed in some way to the making of this particular cake,” said Chatterjee.

Talking about his favourite Christmas memories, the actor said, “Picnics with friends and relatives were very common, and eating oranges. Plus, I was always a cricket fan and follower, so I would play cricket too. In those days, cricket was mainly a winter thing, and was not that popular in summer. Winters would last all throughout December and January in those days. Plus, visits to the Alipore Zoo were also common and since winter is my favourite season, Christmas always makes me nostalgic now. “

“This year, I will be promoting Byomkesh whole-heartedly during Christmas time, and I will also be doing Anik Dutta’s film. So I’ll have to balance between shoots and promotions. And probably a day outing with my family is on the cards," said the actor.

“Byomkesh has always been very, very special for me," continued Chatterjee.

"It was my second film, and when Anjan-da offered it to me, I was dubbing for my first film. Byomkesh is an iconic character, and most people are deeply possessive and sentimental about him. And now, Byomkesh has achieved something of a national status because of so many films and interpretations of it, which makes me so proud.

When the first Byomkesh released, I was extremely nervous and tense, but people loved me as Byomkesh, and it became a brand of sorts.

I always feel very proud and privileged of the fact that people have accepted me as Byomkesh. It’s a matter of huge honour, especially when so many people have offered me this role even after I was doing Feluda in between.

I decided that it would be simply stupid to let go of such an opportunity that was knocking on my door, and so I decided to do it again with Arindam-da, and this film is a different take on Byomkesh. Like, with Har Har Byomkesh, it’s made on a much larger scale, and the time period has been shifted to just post independence of 1948, and Arindam-da has made it much more edgy and smart, and as a film also, it is much bigger.

“Everything was a challenge for this film. Even before the first Byomkesh came out, people said that I was too young, a new guy, not mature enough, yet the critics reviewed it differently after the film released and they actually appreciated me. This is now my fifth Byomkesh, and by now people have made it very clear that they have certain expectations from me, and in every film, they want something better and special from the last film. And it is my obligation also, to give something back to Byomkesh, because the character has given me so much. With Byomkesh Porbo, I can promise that it will be much more edgy, more focussed as a film, and I’m quite hopeful that people will like it”, said Chatterjee.

“There is definitely a nervousness and pressure of expectation, because so much has been written about Byomkesh and Feluda, that people are well aware about what’s happening, and they are quite eager to know what’s new in this case. That stress is definitely there.”

“The fear of being stereotyped doesn’t bother me because luckily enough, I have always been offered roles that are all quite different from each other. My upcoming film ‘Thammar Boyfriend’, a family comedy, is a different genre altogether, and even in my last film, my character was far, far different from Byomkesh’s character. In that way, I am very lucky and grateful to my producers and directors for offering me a wide array of roles. For any actor, this is a huge challenge, and they all love this challenge," said the actor.

“In terms of upcoming projects, ‘Thamma’r Boyfriend’, and the new Byomkesh is on the list. Other than this, I have just finished Kaushik Ganguli’s film called ‘Bisorjon’, an emotional drama set in the India Bangladesh border. Several other projects are in the pipeline too”, said the actor, as he signed off.

(Reporting by Tanushree Sen, Images by Avishek Mitra)