From fanboy to co-star: Jisshu Sengupta on working with Karisma Kapoor in Brown

Brown is a neo-noir psychological crime thriller set in Kolkata. At its centre is Rita Brown, played by veteran actor Karisma Kapoor, once the city’s finest cop, who is now a disgraced, alcoholic officer haunted by her past.

In an exclusive interview with Connected to India, Jisshu, who plays a pivotal role, said the crime thriller gave him a chance to play a character unlike anything he has done before in his nearly three-decade long career.

“I have not played this role ever in my life,” he said. Jisshu, who has worked in more than 80 films across languages, said Brown stands apart from his previous projects because of both the character and the storytelling style.

Brown revolves around a series of brutal murders that shocks the City of Joy. When the daughter of an influential businessman is found dead, Rita is reluctantly pulled back into the system.

Teaming up with a grieving junior officer, Inspector Arjun Sinha, played by Surya Sharma, Rita is drawn into a dark and disturbing investigation.

While Jisshu remained tight-lipped about details of his role, he had high praise for Karisma.

“You have not seen Karisma Kapoor the way she is in this show. It is a revelation for everyone who is a Karisma Kapoor fan,” he said.

Talking about his experience of working with Lolo, as Karisma is fondly called in Bollywood’s inner circle, Jisshu described it as memorable.

A fan of her popular films with Govinda in the 1990s, he admitted there was a “fanboy moment” when they first worked together. He also praised her professionalism and personality, saying she is “very down to earth” and never makes others feel intimidated by stardom.

A major part of Brown was shot in Kolkata, a city close to Jisshu’s heart. He recalled filming in a neighbourhood where he spent much of his childhood and said locals still saw him as their own “pada boy” (neighbourhood boy).

According to Jisshu, Kolkata is one of the main characters of the series. He also praised director Abhinay Deo and cinematographer Amogh Deshpande for presenting the city in a fresh and visually striking way.

“You have never seen Kolkata the way Abhinay sir and Amogh has shot this show,” he said.

Jisshu also reflected on his early cricketing days. A former Bengal Under-19 player, he joked that he sometimes wonders what might have happened had cricket offered the kind of financial rewards it does today.

While acting eventually became his calling, he remains connected to the sport through the Celebrity Cricket League.

(The article was originally published on Connected to India.)