Actor Dibyendu Bhattacharya talks in an exclusive interview about his acting journey so far. He reveals being judged for his dark skin. With multiple OTT hits like Undekhi and Poacher, the actor discusses how one should choose his career.
Category
✨
PeopleTranscript
00:00He's dark-skinned. So I thought, okay, that's what happened.
00:06I bleached my hair twice in one night.
00:08The next day, I had a shoot.
00:10My hair was gone.
00:12I had blisters.
00:14You shouldn't aspire for a career.
00:17You should have a career in what you're good at.
00:21I was an aspiring footballer.
00:24I was an aspiring cricketer.
00:26But I couldn't play at that level.
00:28The rent was Rs.1500.
00:30At that time, it felt like Rs.1500 was too much.
00:33If I had asked for Rs.1800, I would have asked for Rs.300 less.
00:45You know, I've been such an admirer of your work.
00:47And now I'm happy to be meeting the man behind that work.
00:53I was watching an interview of yours.
00:56You said something about racism being a part of cinema.
01:02Where dark-skinned people are dark characters.
01:06But I don't agree. You've been doing such lovely characters.
01:09Yeah, yeah, of course.
01:11It is not like, quote-unquote, I've ever faced racism.
01:16I haven't faced it.
01:18Recently, I did a show called Andekhi.
01:24When the season 1 of Andekhi was being casted,
01:30I had given everything to Loocter's.
01:34But I still didn't get casted.
01:36They were working with someone else.
01:39Later, I found out that they shot for a few days.
01:43But they didn't like it.
01:45Then they came to me.
01:47Then they came back to you.
01:48Then they came back to me.
01:49Later, I found out that the creators of the show, Siddharth Sen Gupta,
01:52they were really keen to work with me.
01:54And I was also quite keen to work with good people.
01:58I've always been like that.
02:00Later, I found out that, in an interview, Ashish had said,
02:03someone had asked,
02:05why did you take so long to cast Debu?
02:10Everyone had done a workshop.
02:13They had gone into a groove.
02:17I was the last person to join the group.
02:21That day, I found out.
02:25He said, it was because of his dark skin.
02:29So, I thought, okay, it happened.
02:35Then, of course, such things happen.
02:39But such things exist in life.
02:41In India, such things exist.
02:45If you go to the marriage market,
02:51you have to sell Fair and Lovely.
02:54And you always need friends.
02:58So, it exists.
03:00A little bit.
03:02A little bit.
03:03A little bit.
03:04A little bit.
03:05But it has not come in the way of your career, especially lately.
03:10No.
03:11I mean, from the beginning, I never paid much attention to these things in life.
03:15So, that is…
03:16One of my things is that I don't give much importance to anyone in life.
03:21Okay.
03:22Neither do I give myself.
03:23Alright.
03:24So, by giving more importance, you start expecting a lot from things.
03:30And you get disappointed very quickly.
03:35You feel that…
03:36But taking life and everything too seriously.
03:38Too seriously, yeah.
03:39It's like very easy.
03:41So, I have a philosophy in life.
03:43If I meet a student, if I am mentoring someone,
03:48I always tell them, take your life as easy, as simple as possible.
03:52Because the art you are dealing with is very complex.
03:55Yeah.
03:56And a complicated one.
03:57Because you have to put…
03:58You have to be in somebody else's shoes.
04:01Like, you know, you go in their clothes, you go in their attire,
04:05you go to their parithan, you go to their climates.
04:08I mean, you grow up in Kolkata, where there is humidity, it's sunny.
04:15You are acting somewhere in Siberia.
04:18So, you have to imagine the climate there.
04:22Absolutely.
04:23So, all these things are very complex.
04:26External, internal, all of it.
04:28All of it.
04:29And then, we are told that if you do a good character,
04:35it means that the character should come forward.
04:37And you should go back as an actor.
04:39So, there are a lot of invisible factors in art.
04:43You can't shout and say repeatedly,
04:45I am Divbindu Bhattacharya.
04:46I am Divbindu's character.
04:48Look at me.
04:49See me.
04:50No.
04:51See the character.
04:52See the character.
04:53So, that's there.
04:54So, we have been seeing you as Neel in Pochar,
04:58which is really fantastic actually.
05:00I love the show itself.
05:02Fabulous show.
05:04It's a fantastic show actually.
05:05Fantastic show by a fantastic maker.
05:07Yes.
05:08That is very important, isn't it?
05:10Because art in the end of the day, cinema,
05:12I have always known that cinema is a director's medium.
05:18Absolutely.
05:19A director, who is a spectator,
05:22if he doesn't have vision in that,
05:24And he is also a writer himself.
05:26He is also a writer himself.
05:27And it's not like he writes a script in a week.
05:30Yes, I know.
05:31It takes 3-4 years to work on a project.
05:34To work on a project, research, then his casting.
05:37So, he knows everything.
05:39And the beautiful thing is that,
05:41Malayalee original,
05:43and half of the people are Malayalee people,
05:47like 75% of the cast is Malayalee cast,
05:50and almost like 60% or 70% is Malayalee people speaking.
05:56That's right.
05:57That also he understands.
05:58Because he understands, he is so prepared,
06:01that he knows all the bits,
06:03that he knows,
06:04till this point, the emotion has to change.
06:06Why didn't it happen?
06:07Correct.
06:08Then he goes and asks.
06:09So, it is.
06:10So, he is one.
06:12And the actors of course,
06:14they are really beautiful.
06:16I mean, Nimisha was so perfect for that role.
06:19Because there you had her Malayalee phase,
06:22in the Kerala ambience.
06:25It was just perfect.
06:27And you blended so well with it.
06:29Although you were not the Malayalee factor.
06:32Yeah, I am not the Malayalee factor,
06:34but I am there.
06:35So, I also spoke 6 lines in Malayalee.
06:38You spoke in Malayalam.
06:39I spoke in Malayalam.
06:41In Kerala also, many critics have said,
06:44that my Malayalam was okay.
06:46So, you did a little bit of Malayalam also in that.
06:49Yeah.
06:50And passed off as a Malayalee.
06:51Not as a Malayalee,
06:52but as a person who could speak.
06:54He is a North Indian,
06:56born and brought up in Delhi.
06:58A Bengali guy,
06:59like Chitrajan Park,
07:00Subrata Park,
07:01who are Bengalis,
07:02he is a Bengali,
07:03who was born and brought up there.
07:04So, he is ex-Raw.
07:05All these things.
07:06After that,
07:08he came here and is working in the field.
07:11So, a beautiful part of Richie is that,
07:16the connection,
07:19the stitching.
07:20That guy is coming from Delhi.
07:24So, he is coming with that breathing problem,
07:26with this thing and all.
07:28And what is,
07:29that is because,
07:30this is the largest scenario,
07:31because of everything is getting extinct,
07:33trees are being cut.
07:34You know,
07:35this is a very big show,
07:38and this is the beautiful thing,
07:40if you understand that.
07:43Absolutely.
07:44And it was wonderful that Alia Bhatt,
07:46backed it, you know,
07:47as a producer.
07:48Alia, it was great that,
07:51because,
07:52it is very important that,
07:55if there is a socially pertinent story,
07:58equally,
08:00if a celebrity,
08:02actually an icon,
08:04promotes that thing,
08:06so that is,
08:08it adds a dimension to it.
08:12And it is also good from their side,
08:14that there is that greatness,
08:16that they are associating with this kind of project.
08:20That is also socially relevant,
08:22because,
08:23at the end of the day,
08:24art is an entertainment,
08:26but also a message.
08:27Absolutely.
08:28And you got to have a little bit of a conscience.
08:30Yeah, yeah, exactly.
08:31As an actor also, you got to have some conscience.
08:33Conscience to chahiye,
08:34because we are all artists,
08:35so we know what is like,
08:37we are not judgmental.
08:38Right.
08:39We are not judgmental,
08:40but we understand,
08:41what is actually good for the nation,
08:42what is not good for the nation,
08:44what is good for the world,
08:45and what is not good for the world.
08:46Yes.
08:47So ek,
08:48because actors,
08:49or artists,
08:51kahi na kahi ek psychoanalysis bhi hota hai.
08:53Yeah.
08:54Matlab, kahi,
08:55because,
08:56unke ek alag perception bhi hota hai,
08:58life ke baare mein.
08:59Woh life ko thora sa,
09:00mujhe lagta hai,
09:01artist ek aisa community hai,
09:02jo life ko thora sa,
09:03subjectively,
09:04objectively bhi dekh sakta hai.
09:06Yeah,
09:07because you are all the time
09:08analysing the characters you are playing,
09:09and there is such a variety you are playing.
09:11Yeah,
09:12aur mujhe toh lagta hai,
09:13har insan ko,
09:14har artist ko,
09:15self-introspect mein jaana,
09:16bahot zaruri hai.
09:17Kyunke,
09:18self-introspect mein jaana ke baad hi,
09:20aapko pata chalta hai,
09:21ki aap kitne paani mein ho,
09:22aap satay mein ho,
09:23ya deep mein ho,
09:24gehraay mein ho,
09:25kahan ho.
09:26So,
09:27so,
09:28woh har ek artist ke saath toh
09:29continuously hona chahiye,
09:30aur,
09:31matlab ek,
09:32icon ke saath toh hona hi chahiye.
09:33But aap karte ho?
09:34Bilkul karte ho.
09:35Self-analysis?
09:36Bilkul karte ho.
09:37Main 24x7,
09:38main amesha,
09:39apne aapko,
09:40matlab main aaj ke tarikh mein bhi,
09:41mere performance dekh ke,
09:42main khush nahi ho pata ho,
09:43kabhi kabar mujhe lagta hai,
09:44ki yaar,
09:45pata nahi,
09:46mujhe,
09:47main nahi dekh sakta hai,
09:48kyunke yeh kuch aur bhi ho sakta tha,
09:49kuch aur kar sakta hai.
09:50You could have done something more to it.
09:51Multiple dimension mein aap,
09:52ek,
09:53kirdaar ko leke jaa sakte ho.
09:54That's right.
09:55How did you get this,
09:56role of Neel?
09:57Because of Mukesh Chhabra.
09:58Acha,
09:59okay,
10:00casting agent.
10:01Casting,
10:02because of Mukesh Chhabra.
10:03Mukesh Chhabra ke office se phone aaya tha,
10:04Sanjay ka phone aaya tha,
10:05ki dada ek,
10:06aur,
10:07actually,
10:08kya na,
10:09usse pehle main,
10:10ek project mein,
10:11Richie ke saath main,
10:12kaam kar raha tha,
10:13wo project hui nahi,
10:14baad mein.
10:15Toh,
10:16toh at least,
10:17Murari ji,
10:18mujhe pata hai ki,
10:19who is Richie,
10:20and,
10:21fir maine,
10:22Delhi Crime dekh liya tha.
10:23Toh,
10:24mujhe tha ki,
10:25is bande ke saath toh,
10:26kaam karna hi hai.
10:27But,
10:28I'm very happy to see you,
10:29in these kind of diverse roles,
10:30you know.
10:31And,
10:32you're playing,
10:33actually,
10:34the good man,
10:35in almost all of them.
10:36Because,
10:37see,
10:38in Andekhi,
10:39you are,
10:40DSP,
10:41Varun Ghosh,
10:42who again is,
10:43you know,
10:44very dogged in his,
10:45determination to get,
10:46get those art forms.
10:47So,
10:48you know,
10:49in Maharani,
10:50I noticed that,
10:51Martin is,
10:52more doggedly,
10:53he is after that case.
10:54You know,
10:55so there is,
10:56Martin also.
10:57And,
10:58people are accepting you,
10:59in all this,
11:00even railway men.
11:01You were playing the good man.
11:02Good man,
11:03of course.
11:04You were playing the conscientious,
11:05factory worker.
11:06Yeah,
11:07yeah,
11:08yeah.
11:09So,
11:10you're being accepted,
11:11in all kinds of roles,
11:12which is really nice.
11:13Yeah,
11:14yeah,
11:15exactly.
11:16So,
11:17ek,
11:18ek,
11:19ek,
11:20ek,
11:21ek,
11:22ek,
11:23ek,
11:24ek,
11:25ek,
11:26ek,
11:27ek,
11:28ek,
11:29ek,
11:30ek,
11:31ek,
11:32ek,
11:33ek,
11:34ek,
11:35ek,
11:36ek,
11:37ek,
11:38ek,
11:39ek,
11:40ek,
11:41ek,
11:42ek,
11:43ek,
11:44ek,
11:45ek,
11:46ek,
11:47ek,
11:48ek,
11:49ek,
11:50ek,
11:51ek,
11:52ek,
11:53ek,
11:54ek,
11:55ek,
11:56ek,
11:57ek,
11:58ek,
11:59ek,
12:00ek,
12:01ek,
12:02ek,
12:03ek,
12:04ek,
12:05ek,
12:06ek,
12:07ek,
12:08ek,
12:09ek,
12:10ek,
12:11ek,
12:12ek,
12:13ek,
12:14ek,
12:15ek,
12:16ek,
12:17ek,
12:18ek,
12:19ek,
12:20ek,
12:21ek,
12:22ek,
12:23ek,
12:24ek,
12:25ek,
12:26ek,
12:27ek,
12:28ek,
12:29ek,
12:30ek,
12:31ek,
12:32ek,
12:33ek,
12:34ek,
12:35ek,
12:36ek,
12:37ek,
12:38ek,
12:39ek,
12:40ek,
12:41ek,
12:42ek,
12:43ek,
12:44ek,
12:45ek,
12:46ek,
12:47ek,
12:48ek,
12:49ek,
12:50ek,
12:51ek,
12:52ek,
12:53ek,
12:54ek,
12:55ek,
12:56ek,
12:57ek,
12:58ek,
12:59ek,
13:00ek,
13:01ek,
13:02ek,
13:03ek,
13:04ek,
13:05ek,
13:06ek,
13:07ek,
13:08ek,
13:09ek,
13:10ek,
13:11ek,
13:12ek,
13:13ek,
13:14ek,
13:15ek,
13:16ek,
13:17ek,
13:18ek,
13:19ek,
13:20ek,
13:21ek,
13:22ek,
13:23ek,
13:24ek,
13:25ek,
13:26ek,
13:27ek,
13:28ek,
13:29ek,
13:30ek,
13:31ek,
13:32ek,
13:33ek,
13:34ek,
13:35ek,
13:36ek,
13:37ek,
13:38ek,
13:39ek,
13:40ek,
13:41ek,
13:42ek,
13:43ek,
13:44ek,
13:45ek,
13:46ek,
13:47ek,
13:48ek,
13:49ek,
13:50ek,
13:51ek,
13:52ek,
13:53ek,
13:54ek,
13:55ek,
13:56ek,
13:57ek,
13:58ek,
13:59ek,
14:00ek,
14:01ek,
14:02ek,
14:03ek,
14:04ek,
14:05ek,
14:06ek,
14:07ek,
14:08ek,
14:09ek,
14:10ek,
14:11ek,
14:12ek,
14:13ek,
14:14ek,
14:15ek,
14:16ek,
14:17ek,
14:18ek,
14:19ek,
14:20ek,
14:21ek,
14:22ek,
14:23ek,
14:24ek,
14:25ek,
14:26ek,
14:27ek,
14:28ek,
14:29ek,
14:30ek,
14:31ek,
14:32ek,
14:33ek,
14:34ek,
14:35ek,
14:36ek,
14:37ek,
14:38ek,
14:39ek,
14:40ek,
14:41ek,
14:42ek,
14:43ek,
14:44ek,
14:45ek,
14:46ek,
14:47ek,
14:48ek,
14:49ek,
14:50ek,
14:51ek,
14:52ek,
14:53ek,
14:54ek,
14:55ek,
14:56ek,
14:57ek,
14:58ek,
14:59ek,
15:00ek,
15:01ek,
15:02ek,
15:03ek,
15:04ek,
15:05ek,
15:06ek,
15:07ek,
15:08ek,
15:09ek,
15:10this give you satisfaction that you've come a long long long way? Oh of course
15:14of course I've you really feel good when you feel connected when you
15:19first time people used to see you, people used to come to you and they used to ask you
15:25that I've seen you somewhere. They were not associated with a name. I've seen you somewhere.
15:32Where were you? Where were you? Then you had to tell yourself that I did this work, I did that work.
15:36Now people come to you, hello Mr. Dibyendu, hello Mr. Dibyendu, hello. So that association is very
15:43important. Connecting with a name. So that is one thing and another thing is that life is almost like,
15:52life is still remaining. Of course. But for so many years I've been doing this work,
15:59theatre, cinema. So I'll keep doing all these things. So is this where you wanted to be?
16:06Where you are offered a variety of roles? And you're accepted in any role? Frankly speaking
16:13I've never thought about my future in my life. I've never thought about it. I've never planned
16:18that I should do this, I should do that, I should go in this way. I take life as it comes to me.
16:29Day to day I try to live my life as much as I can. I have a little bit of future planning,
16:36life insurance, all these things. And like your father always told you that
16:41PA for gratuity is not there in this profession. Yes, yes, in this profession. Always.
16:44My father used to say the same thing. He still says the same thing. He used to say that yes,
16:48save a little bit, keep a little bit. PA, Provenient Fund is not there for gratuity.
16:57But yes, but when I came to Mumbai, then I got Provenient Fund and gratuity. Because
17:01I worked in the NSD Repertory Company. After graduating from NSD, I worked in the Repertory
17:07Company for 3 years as an actor. It's a national theatre company, run by the Minister of HRD.
17:15So I used to work there. So after 3 years, when I left the company, I came here. So I brought
17:21Provenient Fund and gratuity money. Because of which I was able to survive. Because of which
17:28I, I mean, that's why I couldn't glorify it. I mean, I struggled so much that I slept in footpaths
17:36and in railway stations. I came, stayed at a friend's house after a few days. After that,
17:43with another friend, I gave advance and shifted. I mean, the rent was 1500 rupees. At that time,
17:50it also felt like 1500 rupees fell. If you had said 1800, then reduce it to 300.
18:0024 years since you've been in Bombay.
18:02Yeah, 2000, 2000, yeah.
18:05It's been a very fruitful and eventful 24 years, isn't it?
18:09Yeah, fruitful. I got married, had kids,
18:13had a house, got a job, I mean, half of my life. I was in Calcutta till the age of 24.
18:22At the age of 24, I left Calcutta. It's been another 24 years.
18:27That's nice.
18:28So if you look at it like that...
18:30What is it about you? Because you don't come from a family of actors.
18:33So what was it that you felt that, I want to be an actor? Was it your
18:40Was it your general look, was it your general look, what was it about you?
18:44I don't know, when I think about these things in retrospect, I feel that in my childhood
18:49there were seeds planted in terms of, because I remember when I was very young, when I used
18:57to be a theatre actor in the neighbourhood, I used to get very excited.
19:01I used to like it a lot, that dream reality, the darkness, the audience and the stage
19:07This world used to attract me.
19:10And I also remember that I was born in a very big family.
19:16My grandfather's three brothers' family was together.
19:19Oh, joint family?
19:20Joint family.
19:21So, almost like 35-40 people together in one house.
19:25So, I was born in such a house that I was the first grandson.
19:29So, I was a little pampered.
19:34So, there was an uncle who used to go to the theatre.
19:38He made me a tuition once.
19:40So, there was a show at 10 or 11 at night during the time of worship.
19:45So, my entry was at 12.30.
19:49At that time, I was a small child, 3-4 years old.
19:53It was time to sleep.
19:55So, I went to sleep.
19:56He made me a tuition and took me to the stage and made me stand like this.
20:00So, the entry is very important.
20:02So, I remember this too.
20:05I used to do something in my room with a mosquito net and a night lamp.
20:12And I used to tell people to buy tickets.
20:14I used to make tickets in my childhood.
20:16So, people used to come to my house and my room.
20:18So, I did all this.
20:21After that, when I started theatre,
20:23after my secondary exam in 1988, I joined a group theatre.
20:30At that time, I didn't have a career.
20:36I was very much into sports and I didn't have any direction to go.
20:40But all of a sudden, recognition and validation,
20:45when you get an award for best actor,
20:49I got it again and again.
20:52Then, through IPTA, Indian People's Theatre Association,
20:55in 1993,
20:57at the Golden Jubilee Celebration of IPTA,
21:00there was a theatre competition.
21:03I got an award for best actor there.
21:07So, when you get validation,
21:10you realize that you belong to this world.
21:14Later, I realized that
21:16what you aspire for should not be your career.
21:20What you are good at should be your career.
21:24I was an aspiring footballer.
21:26I was an aspiring cricketer.
21:28But I am not able to play at that level.
21:31Right.
21:32So, if I am not able to play at that level,
21:34if I don't have the ability,
21:35if I don't have the talent at that level,
21:37if I am not able to become Sachin Tendulkar,
21:39if I am not able to become Sachin Tendulkar,
21:41then at least I can become something else.
21:43So, those things happen.
21:46I can tell you now.
21:48You realized it.
21:49I realized it now.
21:50Otherwise, life just happened.
21:54Yes.
21:55I want to tell anyone that
21:57what you are good at should be your career.
22:01Because that is the USP.
22:04You can sell that.
22:05You are unique in that.
22:06Yes.
22:07Otherwise, you are random.
22:09Because everybody is aspiring.
22:11Aspiring singer.
22:12Aspiring actor.
22:13Aspiring this thing.
22:14Aspiring...
22:15So, there can be a lot of aspirations.
22:17You are a tabla player as well.
22:18I used to play tabla as well.
22:19I know.
22:20I used to play tabla as well.
22:21I passed 4th division in Prayag Sangeet Samiti, Allahabad.
22:25I passed the distinction.
22:27But even after that, I realized that
22:29I can't play like Kishan Maharaj.
22:34You are not Jackie Pesant.
22:35I am not Jackie Pesant.
22:36Samta Prasad, Shankar Ghosh, Gyan Prakash Ghosh
22:39were legendary tabla players.
22:42I used to learn from them.
22:43Sajal Karmakar.
22:45I don't have that much practice and time.
22:49I don't have that much patience.
22:51Have you met Zakir Hussain?
22:53No.
22:54You haven't met him.
22:55He is a legendary tabla player.
22:57No, I haven't met Zakir Hussain.
22:59I saw his performance in Calcutta.
23:03Okay.
23:05Zakir is also good fun.
23:07He is good fun as a person also.
23:09Of course.
23:10But I didn't get that opportunity to meet him.
23:14And what a player.
23:16What a player.
23:17You know, he combines the classical
23:19along with the commercial.
23:21He knows how to cater to an audience.
23:23Yeah.
23:24Without losing the classical touch.
23:26It's a whole package.
23:27It's a whole package.
23:28Like you guys are.
23:30Like you artists are.
23:31Full package.
23:32Full package.
23:33Yeah.
23:36Actually our art is the whole body.
23:39It is the whole persona.
23:41From the feet to the hair.
23:46It becomes that character.
23:48The audience is exposed.
23:50Is there any character that you have really
23:52found very difficult to get into?
23:58Because you seem to be easy with
24:00almost all the characters.
24:02It seems to.
24:03Seems to.
24:04Yeah.
24:05But every time I get a challenge
24:07from every character.
24:08Yeah.
24:09Every time.
24:10Every time.
24:11My mouth gets dry.
24:13I have to go to the toilet.
24:15I get scared.
24:18First day of shoot.
24:19First scene.
24:22With new actors.
24:23With new group.
24:24New technicians.
24:25People are watching you from all sides.
24:2825 people.
24:30And the biggest thing is that
24:32you have a reality in the stage.
24:34When you act.
24:36In the stage your reality is that
24:38everybody is enchanted.
24:39The audience.
24:41There is no audience here.
24:42Correct.
24:44There are all technicians here.
24:48There are a lot of people.
24:49They are judging you.
24:50Yeah.
24:51That how will he catch the character?
24:53How will he do it?
24:54He will do it.
24:55He is sitting in front of the monitor.
24:57There is a creative team behind him.
24:59So there is a conversation going on.
25:01Somebody comes to you.
25:02Somebody brings a suggestion.
25:04So you know.
25:05Because you have been watched.
25:07While you are performing.
25:09So it is a.
25:10It is a big alienation.
25:11You can't go into
25:15identification.
25:17You know you were very very good
25:18even in Loop Lopeta.
25:20Such a wacky film that was.
25:23And you.
25:24Your hand inside a turkey.
25:28Yeah yeah turkey.
25:29Yeah his.
25:31Because he was a chef.
25:32He was a chef.
25:34And.
25:36If someone makes a mistake.
25:40He does this.
25:41That I will marinate you.
25:44I will put it in the oven.
25:45I will put it in the oven.
25:46After that I will feed people.
25:48Correct.
25:50So.
25:51And that.
25:54Yeah.
25:55Loop Lopeta was a fun.
25:56It is a.
25:57Aakash.
25:58It's all.
25:59Due to Aakash.
26:00Aakash outstanding.
26:01His.
26:02Wackiness.
26:03Wackiness.
26:04That thing.
26:05So it was a lot of fun working on Loop Lopeta.
26:07Was that character like that on paper
26:09when it came to you?
26:10Yeah yeah yeah.
26:11Very much.
26:12It was completely designed character.
26:13Aakash wanted like that only.
26:15And I must tell you one.
26:18Story.
26:19About the character.
26:20That character's hair.
26:21He wanted silver.
26:23Complete silver.
26:24Silver.
26:25Gray.
26:26With.
26:27Very.
26:28With a look of 70s.
26:30Okay.
26:31So I tried a lot to make my hair silver.
26:33But because.
26:34You need to.
26:35You need to make it a palette.
26:37Because you have to make it white.
26:38Surface.
26:39Only then you can apply silver.
26:40In this hair.
26:41Gray hair.
26:42Whatever silver you apply.
26:43It comes a little blackish.
26:45In the camera.
26:46Okay.
26:47So because of that.
26:48What to do?
26:49What to do?
26:50What to do?
26:51I said okay.
26:52Come on.
26:53Do my hair.
26:54I bleached my hair twice in one night.
26:56I have a shooting the next day.
26:57My hair.
26:58Was finished.
26:59Oh my God.
27:00Yes.
27:01Blisters came.
27:02And I bleached it.
27:03I said come on.
27:04I did it for the picture.
27:05And after that.
27:06It was done for the look.
27:07After that.
27:08I suffered almost like.
27:09Six months.
27:10Seven months.
27:11To come back.
27:12Like.
27:13To get your hair back.
27:14To get my hair back.
27:15Okay.
27:16Blisters came all over my head.
27:17My God.
27:18I have never done that in my life.
27:19I never touch my hair with my hair.
27:21Right.
27:22So.
27:23So this is what you gave Loop Lopeta.
27:24Your hair.
27:25Yeah.
27:26My hair.
27:27So.
27:28Okay.
27:29Loop Lopeta.
27:30See.
27:31They have taught us since childhood.
27:32Pictures are bigger than you.
27:33So.
27:34The film is much much bigger than you.
27:35Bigger than you.
27:36So.
27:37So must go on.
27:38You must.
27:39You must.
27:40Do for the role.
27:41Character.
27:42Okay.
27:43That's true.
27:44That's true.
27:45That's why I.
27:46That's why I try to change every character.
27:47So.
27:48So.
27:49That's true.
27:50That's true.
27:51That's true.
27:52That's true.
27:53That's true.
27:54That's true.
27:55That's true.
27:56That's true.
27:57That's true.
27:58That's true.
27:59That's true.
28:00That's true.
28:01That's true.
28:02That's true.
28:03That's true.
28:04That's true.
28:05That's true.
28:06That's true.
28:07That's true.
28:08That's true.
28:09That's true.
28:10That's true.
28:11That's true.
28:12That's true.
28:13That's true.
28:14That's true.
28:15That's true.
28:16That's true.
28:17That's true.
28:18That's true.
28:19That's true.
28:20That's true.
28:21That's true.
28:22That's true.
28:23That's true.
28:24That's true.
28:25That's true.
28:26That's true.
28:27That's true.
28:28That's true.
28:29That's true.
28:30That's true.
28:31That's true.
28:32That's true.
28:33That's true.
28:34That's true.
28:35That's true.
28:36That's true.
28:37That's true.
28:38That's true.
28:39That's true.
28:40That's true.
28:41That's true.
28:42That's true.
28:43That's true.
28:44That's true.
28:45That's true.
28:46That's true.
28:47That's true.
28:48That's true.
28:49That's true.
28:50That's true.
28:51That's true.
28:52That's true.
28:53That's true.
28:54That's true.
28:55That's true.
28:56That's true.
28:57That's true.
28:58That's true.
28:59That's true.
29:00That's true.
29:01That's true.
29:02That's true.
29:03That's true.
29:04That's true.
29:05That's true.
29:06That's true.
29:07That's true.
29:08That's true.
29:09That's true.
29:10That's true.
29:11That's true.
29:12That's true.
29:13That's true.
29:14That's true.
29:15That's true.
29:16That's true.
29:17That's true.
29:18That's true.
29:19That's true.
29:20That's true.
29:21That's true.
29:22That's true.
29:23That's true.
29:24That's true.
29:25That's true.
29:26That's true.
29:27That's true.
29:28That's true.
29:29That's true.
29:30That's true.
29:31That's true.
29:32That's true.
29:33That's true.
29:34That's true.
29:35That's true.
29:36That's true.
29:37That's true.
29:38That's true.
29:39That's true.
29:40That's true.
29:41That's true.
29:42That's true.
29:43That's true.
29:44That's true.
29:45That's true.
29:46That's true.
29:47That's true.
29:48That's true.
29:49That's true.
29:50That's true.
29:51That's true.
29:52That's true.
29:53That's true.
29:54That's true.
29:55That's true.
29:56That's true.
29:57That's true.
29:58That's true.
29:59That's true.
30:00That's true.
30:01That's true.
30:02That's true.
30:03That's true.
30:04That's true.
30:05That's true.
30:06That's true.
30:07That's true.
30:08That's true.
30:09That's true.
30:10That's true.
30:11That's true.
30:12That's true.
30:13That's true.
30:15Yes, thereAre lot of roles in such films!
30:18There are lot of roles in such films!
30:22When you write films about TR'S and RITV
30:26Or Satchit Ray or Kurusala
30:30I cannot tell you the list.
30:33I cannot give you a list of actors and their characters
30:37I still remember the film Last Rada by Antony Quinn and Giulietta Messina.
30:47I still cry when I watch that film.
30:52Bicycle Thief.
30:56The characters in Bicycle Thief are dangerous.
31:11There are so many characters played by Girard Depardieu, Swamitra Chatterjee, Uttam Kumar.
31:27Are there any roles that you didn't do for any reason but they turned out very well and then you feel bad?
31:35No, never. I am always a yes man.
31:41I always tell people that I say yes first in any project.
31:4699.9% of the time I say yes but 0.1% of the time I say no.
31:55Otherwise, I have done all the films that were offered to me.
32:04Whether it is a small role or a big role, I have done all of them.
32:10And I have always benefited from it.
32:13That I have grown up from small roles.
32:17In Ray, Satyajit Ray's anthology, there are only three scenes of Pir Baba.
32:25So I said yes to Sajid.
32:29When I read the story, I said this is the most important character.
32:34If I can play it, then this is the most important character of the film.
32:40So it's not the length, it's the impact.
32:44But now, of course, I need length.
32:48Because length also gives you comfort.
32:51Length also gives you comfort.
32:54You have a span to take the whole character.
32:58Because the smaller the characters, the shorter the span, it becomes more challenging.
33:05Tell me, as a teacher, because you are not only an actor, you also teach and you also train actors.
33:12I heard that you have trained Arjun Kapoor before his first film.
33:16You have trained Parineeti Chopra before her first film.
33:19And then both of you did a film called Kod Thiranga also together.
33:23And I think somebody in a web series also you had trained an actor.
33:30So what is it that you trained Arjun and Parineeti?
33:35It is coaching, actually, basically.
33:38Training is because acting, you don't teach acting.
33:41You can't teach acting.
33:42Because what will you teach acting?
33:44Everyone is an actor.
33:46Everyone has those nuances.
33:48It is just identifying those crafts, those areas.
33:56How do you live as an actor in life?
33:59It is just not only going to the gym.
34:02It is everyday life, day to day life.
34:05You are interacting with the watchman.
34:09You are interacting with the vegetable vendor.
34:12So with anyone.
34:14The one who comes to give the newspaper, the one who is a dog walker.
34:17Your day to day interaction with anyone.
34:20Your social life.
34:22Staying at home with everyone.
34:24Spending time with wife and children.
34:26Spending time with friends.
34:28Being socially aware.
34:30Watching news.
34:31This is everything in acting.
34:33This is the perspective.
34:34So I basically, whenever I train,
34:37if it is on a particular film base,
34:40then I start from this perspective.
34:46For example, for a particular film,
34:48if I am told that this film is being launched,
34:51then for 15-20 days, we do a little workshop.
34:55So I always try to do it one on one.
34:59Because if I do it in a group,
35:01then I won't be able to give my attention.
35:03And from that, what I do is,
35:06in my personal life, as an actor,
35:09what all problems I faced in which areas,
35:12and how I broke them,
35:14and how I manipulated those things.
35:17So I try to combine all those things.
35:20I try to give a perspective of life.
35:22As an actor, you know,
35:24as an actor,
35:26it doesn't matter if you don't know Remrao,
35:28Botticelli, or Sehzaad,
35:31or Paul Klee, or whatever.
35:33But if you know,
35:35then is it bad for your career?
35:38No, it's not.
35:40So, if you can open such a perspective,
35:43then why not?
35:45So I try to do that.
35:47What was it like with Parneeti and with Arjun?
35:51Same, same.
35:52Because they are also very intelligent people.
35:54Intelligent people, intelligent actors,
35:56intelligent human beings.
35:58Arjun is from a film background,
36:00film family.
36:01He has been an assistant since childhood.
36:04He has been an editor.
36:06He has done a lot of work.
36:08So, their grasping capability is also very good.
36:12Parneeti is very well-educated.
36:14She had done a Master's from Manchester.
36:19So, in this process,
36:22you also invent a lot of things
36:25in your own craft.
36:27You also invent a lot of things in your own craft.
36:31So, it is mainly,
36:33and if the director has told you
36:36that you have to do it scene by scene,
36:39then that is a different perspective.
36:41Then I go and do it scene by scene.
36:44I also go dialogue by dialogue.
36:46I can also go dialogue by dialogue.
36:48So, with these two, what did you do?
36:50We used to do a general workshop.
36:53General workshop for the film.
36:55For the film. General workshop for the film.
36:57And then when you worked with Parneeti later on in Kothiranga,
37:00what was it like?
37:02She is a fantastic human being, I must tell you.
37:04Because in that film, I lost my mother.
37:08During that film, we were in Turkey.
37:12So, she sat with me all day.
37:14She sat with me all day.
37:16And after that,
37:19actually, Hinduism,
37:22because I am a Brahmin,
37:24quite an orthodox Bengali Brahmin family.
37:28So, I have a lot of rituals at home.
37:31I don't eat non-veg.
37:33I don't eat onions.
37:35I don't eat garlic.
37:36I don't eat lentils.
37:40I don't eat rice.
37:42So, it is almost like a penance.
37:44Yes, those 40 days.
37:47No, till the,
37:49I think, 13th.
37:51Till that time.
37:53It is very strict.
37:55In Turkey, how do I do it?
37:57So, Parneeti,
37:59who was her personal chef,
38:01he used to cook for me.
38:03And she used to come and ask me every day,
38:05what do you want to eat?
38:07Should I make this or that?
38:08So, such a sweet human being.
38:09That was very nice.
38:10That was very nice.
38:11So, that is why we call
38:14the whole film Fraternities a family.
38:16That's true.
38:18So, she was with you when you lost your mother.
38:20I lost my mother.
38:21And that was during COVID.
38:22So, you couldn't even come down.
38:23Yeah, yeah.
38:242021.
38:25And because we were outside of India
38:27because
38:28there were no restrictions in India.
38:30The borders were closed.
38:32So,
38:35in Turkey, there were a lot of restrictions
38:37but somehow it was open.
38:39That's right.
38:40Yeah, okay.
38:41And in such a time where
38:43almost like 75% of the film is done
38:46and you have done 50% of the work,
38:49how can you leave it and come?
38:51How can I leave it?
38:52That's true.
38:53We don't even have an alternative.
38:54If something happens to the camera department at home,
38:57the assistant can leave it and come.
38:59But actors cannot.
39:01Actors don't have an alternative.
39:02There are no assistants.
39:03Right.
39:04Okay.
39:05My last question to you.
39:07You mentioned that you met Richa
39:09at NSD.
39:11But nobody has heard about your love story.
39:16How did you meet Richa
39:18and how did this happen?
39:19So, it was like
39:22after National School of Drama,
39:24I took a job at NSD Repertory Company.
39:29So, I got an offer.
39:31I was told that
39:33there are three seats.
39:36If you want to join,
39:38you are most welcome.
39:39So, I joined because
39:41I wanted to do Hindi Rang Manch.
39:43Because I did Bengali Rang Manch
39:45all my life.
39:46After working here for three years,
39:48after studying,
39:50the theatre that I did,
39:51I learnt it for so many years.
39:52In three years,
39:53there will be a place to apply for it.
39:56And in Delhi itself,
39:57you can do Hindi Rang Manch.
39:58Or you can go to Kanpur,
39:59you can go to Faizabad,
40:01you can go to Bhopal,
40:02you can go anywhere.
40:03But Delhi is a pit.
40:05Hindi Rang Manch.
40:06So, National School of Drama,
40:08you have facilities,
40:09you have everything.
40:10It's a repertory company.
40:11So, this will be the better place.
40:13Work here.
40:14So, I worked there.
40:15I worked there for three years.
40:16I enjoyed it a lot.
40:18So,
40:19And during that time,
40:20you met Richa.
40:21During that time,
40:22when I was working,
40:26there were some plays
40:28in which I used to lead.
40:31There were a lot of comedy plays too.
40:33So,
40:34people used to laugh a lot.
40:36There was a very popular comedy play
40:38of mine,
40:40Raja Ka Rasoi.
40:41Okay.
40:44So,
40:46in that,
40:49I used to play
40:50a drunk butcher.
40:52Okay.
40:53Which was very,
40:55like,
40:56it's a lecherous butcher.
40:57Okay.
40:58It was like,
40:59I mean,
41:00it was a period play.
41:02Okay.
41:03So, whenever he used to come,
41:04he used to come to the market too,
41:06he used to come with two girls,
41:07with two friends.
41:08Okay.
41:09He was a very
41:10flamboyant butcher.
41:12And he used to drink 24x7.
41:14Okay.
41:15So, that was a very
41:17popular play.
41:21Late,
41:22directed by Mohan Maharishi,
41:23late Mohan Maharishi.
41:24And there was another one,
41:25directed by Bajju Bhai Ramgopal Bajaj.
41:28Bhook Aag Hai.
41:30In that, I used to play
41:31a butcher.
41:32Okay.
41:33So, that was also
41:34a very,
41:35a very
41:36major hit.
41:37Okay.
41:38And in Agni Barkha,
41:40I used to play Arvasu,
41:41which was a play by Girish Karnad,
41:42directed by Prasanna.
41:44That was a very serious play.
41:46So, in that,
41:47I used to play Yakshagana too.
41:49So, in that,
41:50I used to play the character of Arvasu,
41:51the lead character.
41:52So, I used to play
41:534-5 such plays.
41:55And when
41:56there were theatre festivals
41:57of 4-5 plays,
41:58so,
41:59I got to know that
42:00out of the 6 plays,
42:01I was the main lead.
42:03Hmm.
42:04So, it had a very big
42:05effect,
42:06a big impact.
42:07So, in the first year,
42:08Richa had come.
42:09So, in the first year,
42:10the girls used to come
42:11to meet the boys and girls.
42:14So, then
42:15we met.
42:18So, slowly,
42:19slowly,
42:20we met 2-3 more times.
42:21Because,
42:22actually,
42:23the company used to work
42:24in the repertory.
42:25It used to be outside the campus,
42:26in the Scientical Academy.
42:27Hmm.
42:28But, to have lunch,
42:29we used to go to NSD.
42:30In NSD,
42:31in the campus.
42:32We used to come to the campus,
42:33to have lunch in the mess.
42:34And a little,
42:35and a lot of people,
42:36I mean,
42:37if someone has a girlfriend,
42:38if someone has this,
42:39a little friendship.
42:40So, that also used to happen.
42:42And,
42:43even after our repertory
42:45got over,
42:46we used to come to NSD
42:47for a while,
42:48to pass time.
42:49We used to meet
42:50the teachers,
42:51everyone.
42:52It's like a family,
42:53NSD is like.
42:54So,
42:55from there,
42:56slowly,
42:57slowly,
42:58you got familiarized
42:59with all those plays
43:00that you had done.
43:01Yeah, yeah.
43:02Because,
43:03later on,
43:04she had said,
43:05revealed,
43:06that I used to
43:07look at you.
43:08So, that's how
43:09it all started.
43:10Yeah,
43:11it's all started.
43:12And how long
43:13did you,
43:14were you wooing her,
43:15dating her,
43:16before you got married?
43:17Oh, a long time,
43:18actually.
43:19From 1980,
43:2019,
43:21I think,
43:221997,
43:231998,
43:24we,
43:25like,
43:261998,
43:27yeah,
43:281999,
43:291999,
43:30I met her.
43:31And,
43:322003,
43:33we got married.
43:34You got married
43:35in 2003.
43:36Yeah.
43:37Okay.
43:38And you've been in
43:39Bombay since then,
43:40since your wedding?
43:41Yeah,
43:42yeah.
43:43So,
43:44I came to Bombay
43:45in 2000.
43:46So, she's also
43:47an actor,
43:48isn't it?
43:49Yeah,
43:50she's also an
43:51actress,
43:52and she does
43:53a lot of
43:54serials,
43:55Balaji's serials,
43:56a lot.
43:57So,
43:58she has a very
43:59straightforward
44:00funda,
44:01she likes
44:02my studio
44:03system a lot.
44:04There's a
44:05studio
44:06where I
44:07go every
44:08day at
44:097 pm
44:10and come back
44:11at 7 pm
44:12in the evening.
44:13Okay,
44:14not the
44:15erratic
44:16schedules that
44:17you have.
44:18Not the
44:19erratic
44:20schedules,
44:21because
44:22basically,
44:23everything
44:24is
44:25done
44:26by her.
44:27So,
44:28you have
44:29two kids,
44:30isn't it?
44:31Yeah,
44:32two kids.
44:33Okay.
44:34Lovely.
44:35Thank you.
44:36And
44:37everything is
44:38done by her.
44:39Lovely
44:40house you
44:41have.
44:42Thank you.
44:43And
44:44lovely
44:45kids.
44:46Oh,
44:47thank you
44:48so much.
44:49So,
44:50what are
44:51your kids
44:52doing?
44:54Okay.
44:58Even you
44:59were a footballer.
45:00Yeah,
45:01I used to
45:02play football,
45:03cricket,
45:04everything.
45:24Okay.
45:29Okay.
45:37Okay.
45:48Yeah,
45:49that's true.
45:51Yeah,
45:52that's true.
45:53So,
45:54musically,
45:55my two
45:56kids are
45:57very inclined.
45:58Okay.
45:59So,
46:00these are the
46:01things.
46:02And
46:03I have
46:04another
46:05kid at
46:06home.
46:07You
46:08must have
46:09seen him.
46:10His
46:11name is
46:12Hero.
46:13Yes.
46:14His
46:15name is
46:16Hero.
46:17Hero,
46:18who kept
46:19coming
46:20between
46:21me
46:22and
46:23my
46:24wife.
46:25Okay.
46:26So,
46:27he
46:28is
46:29a
46:30hero.
46:31He
46:32is
46:33a
46:34hero.
46:35He
46:36is
46:37a
46:38hero.
46:39He
46:40is
46:41a
46:42hero.
46:43He
46:44is a
46:45hero.
46:46He
46:47is a
46:48hero.
46:49He
46:51is
46:52a
46:53hero.
46:57He
46:58is
46:59a
47:00hero.
47:02He
47:03is a
47:04hero.
47:05Yeah.
47:06He
47:07is a
47:08hero.
47:09And
47:10he
47:11is a
47:12man.
47:13He
47:14is a
47:15man.
47:16You
47:17are
47:18an
47:19So, watch out for Debu in all these films.
47:22Please, please watch and stay connected and keep blessing me.
47:29Yes, and many more such assignments.
47:32Yeah, yeah. So, aur bhi kaam mile aur bhi achcha kaam kar pao bas yehi hai.
47:37That's right.
47:39Chalte rahe bas.
47:40Lovely meeting you.
47:41Lovely meeting you. Nice meeting you.
47:43Thank you so much.
47:49Thank you.