Feel sad when mainstream commercial films don’t run today: Ranjit Mallick

August 2 is the most memorable day in the life of Ranjit Mallick. It was the day in 1972 when he received the International Best Actor Award from Karlovy Vary for his debut film, ‘Interview’. For the 27-year-old, who never thought acting could be his career, Mrinal Sen opened up a new world. Today, at the age of 78, he still believes in the enduring magic of cinema and Sen.

Since 1972, every year until 2018 (Mrinal Sen passed away), Mallick went to Sen’s house with a box of sweets.

“It was my annual ritual and I never missed a year till Mrinal da was alive. I used to visit his house only once a year, on August 2. With a box of sweets, I used to reach his house. Boudi (Gita Sen) was a fantastic human being. We used to chat a lot,” said the actor.

“His way of working was completely different. I haven’t seen anything like that again. His approach to cinema was real and raw. Even then, Mrinal da’s films had a selected audience and it’s still the same. But once you see a film by Mrinal da, you will never forget it,” said Mallick, a household name in Bengali cinema today.

In fact, the late 70s, 80s and 90s belonged to Mallick, with films like ‘Shotru’, ‘Mouchak’, ‘Raag Anuraag’, ‘Sayang Siddha’ and ‘Mejo Bou’ being superhits. Despite the arrival of younger heroes like Chiranjit, Prosenjit Chatterjee and Tapas Pal, Mallick continued to stand out for his unique style. Almost all his films with director Anjan Choudhury were successful.

A hit with the mass audience, today Mallick feels disappointed when mainstream commercial films don’t do well.

“Commercial films infuse life into single screens. But today, Bengal has limited single screens and mainstream commercial films are also not creating enough buzz. I feel sad. During our time, films used to run for 25 weeks. Today, audiences also have the option of OTT and serials. Post-pandemic, the habit of viewing content has also changed,” he said.

But then, he is hopeful about his new release, ‘Love Marriage’ directed by Premendra Bikash Chaki. The film, starring Ankush and Oindrila Sen, is a romantic comedy. Mallick was also part of Chaki’s last film, ‘Honeymoon’, a rom-com again.

Ask the veteran actor how he chooses his scripts and he has an easy answer.

“I do films for two reasons only. One, if the film has a social message and second, if it’s a comedy. I have always believed that laughter is the best medicine. ‘Love Marriage’ is a laugh riot, a complete family entertainer,” he said.

So, was it a love marriage or arranged marriage in his case?

“It was a love marriage (with wife Deepa Mallick),” he smiled.

Today, most of his time is spent with his grandson, Kabir (actress Koel Mallick’s son).

“He is my lifeline now. I love spending time with him,” the proud grandfather said.

Like every actor today, Mallick will also be seen on OTT soon. He has teamed up with Haranath Chakraborty for a family series.

“It’s always nice working with him. We go back a long way and have done innumerable successful films like ‘Sangharsha’, ‘Sangee’, ‘Sasurbari Zindabad’ and ‘Nabab’ to ‘Naater Guru’,” he said.