Indrasis Acharya's 'Niharika' is a stepping stone in my career: Actor Anindya Sengupta

Q. How would you evaluate your character Rangan?

A. As per my perception, my character Rangan is very boxed. By that I mean, he doesn't acknowledge the grey areas of his character. He is not aware of the number of times he enters the grey area. Rangan is sorted with his plans in life, from career to marriage. He is somewhere running away from roots. Economic prosperity is his only aim. However, he is neither regressive nor a bad person. Unlike Rangan, the audience can realise his grey shades. To me, Rangan is the representation of the rigid structure of the society.

Q. What was the brief given by Indrasis Acharya for your character?

A. Prior to my selection for the role, two other actors were roped in but somehow their dates didn't match leading to my entry into the film. I was called by Indrasis-da three days before the shooting schedule. Since my look in the film is much different from what I am personally, makeup and costume helped me a lot. Initially, me and Indrasis-da were unable to come on the same page. I was going scene-to-scene as I did not have a very wholesome idea about Rangan in the first schedule. By the time we entered the third schedule of shooting, I got into the nerves of Rangan. By then, both me and Indrasis-da were on the same page.

Q. How was the contrast between Rangan and Deepa (played by Anuradha Mukherjee)?

A. Actually it was very contrasting because Deepa is searching for something, occasionally playful and inquisitive while Rangan is absolutely the opposite. Rangan is instinctively unromantic unlike Deepa. However, they develop a relationship. Anuradha brings energy to the character while I was supposed to infuse stagnity into my role. This is how we had tried to approach the characters which were the main leads.

Q. How would you describe 'X=Prem' and 'Niharika' in terms of contributions to your career?

A. 'X=Prem' was my debut so it was a different feeling. It was also a different genre. Every outing is important to me. It's more like switching from one job to the other. 'Niharika's is also a stepping stone in my career. Indrasis Acharya, who is a national award winning filmmaker, has a signature of his own. While 'Niharika' is a very important film in my career, 'X=Prem' is like the 'first love'. I couldn't have had a better launch than Srijit Mukherji's 'X=Prem' where the background songs were sung by Arijit Singh and Shreya Ghoshal.

Q. How was the initial feeling of receiving the Filmfare award?

A. It took time to sink in. I was not expecting anything at the award show. I was almost stunned when my name was announced. I kept my speech short and simple. I think I know what I can bring to the table if given an opportunity but then again as an actor, I would try to keep myself out of the bubble which comes with the limelight. The beginning of my end will come if I can't sensibly address the bubble which is always present in this profession. My wife, relatives, and friends are always normal with me so I don't lose sensibility and they keep me grounded.

Q. Tell us about your upcoming project with Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury in Mumbai?

A. The film's title is 'Kadak Singh'. It stars Pankaj Tripathi and Sanjana Sanghi in the lead. The shooting was over in January. It's not the lead character obviously. I agreed to do the role because it was a new experience for me. A number of factors- Pankaj Tripathi, a Hindi film and also a Bengali director- played the roles in choosing the film. Presently, the post production of the film is underway. The film is likely to be released by the end of this year.

Q. How far did the experience enrich you?

A. Obviously, it was a scope to get enriched. I got a first hand experience of a Hindi film set, the availability of resources in Mumbai, the difference between us (Tollywood) and them (Bollywood) in terms of working pattern and resources. I had a good conversation with Pankaj Tripathi briefly. Pankaj Tripathi's professionalism was so inspiring.

Q. Do you want to venture out more out of Kolkata for work?

A. I want to balance both. It is definitely the stepping stone to expand myself. I want to work in as many languages as I can. However, I am very clear that my base will always be Kolkata. The majority of my films will be in Bengali. I will follow this route if my work progresses the way I would want.

(Photos: Avishek Mitra/IBNS)