I might have to produce someday: Vikram

If you have known Vikram Chatterjee since ‘Saat Paake Bandha’ days (his much-appreciated Bengali TV debut in 2010), you’ll notice how much he has changed. There’s a spring in his step. He shakes hands firmly and smiles confidently. A lot has to do with the trust the young filmmakers and producers are placing in him. Films like ‘Shohorer Ushnotomo Din E’, ‘Pariah’, ‘Durgapur Junction’, ‘Raas’ and ‘Mrigaya’ made the actor more familiar with the audience. And now, this young actor also harbours the wish to produce films. Excerpts from a chat with the actor:

‘Omorshongi’, ‘Durgapur Junction’, ‘Raas’ and ‘Mrigaya: The Hunt’. It’s been just six months and you are having back-to-back releases. Do you think this kind of frequency is detrimental to an actor’s career or even the film’s performance?

Absolutely. I’m not in favour of back-to-back releases, especially within the same month. It hurts both the film and the actor. Just to give context, ‘Durgapur Junction’ was released on April 25, 2025. That film was originally supposed to be released on November 15, 2024. But I have to understand that my producers have their own reasons. I am not always happy about it, but I have to adjust.

Do you think your decision to move from TV to films was the right one?

I have invested a lot of time in trying to create the transition. It didn’t happen overnight. Many actors try to make that shift from TV to films, some succeed, others don’t. I tried it first around 2011 with Bappaditya Bandopadhyay’s ‘Elar Char Adhyay’. Unfortunately, my work didn’t reach the audience then. But in 2019, when ‘Phagun Bou’ ended on TV, my transition began through OTT with ‘Tansener Tanpura’. It gave me my major breakthrough in that space. And by God’s grace, that worked out.

So, what would you call your turning point?

Actually, ‘Tansener Tanpura’ was a turning point. I took a break from TV because I wanted to work on the big screen and that transition happened with this series. Even when I was doing TV, I experimented with roles in films like ‘Saheb Bibi Golaam’, ‘Khoj’ and ‘Meghnad Badh Rahasya’. So, my constant endeavour was to make it big in films. It was post 2022 that I became sure that I wanted to carry my own films. I no longer wanted to be a small part of a big film. And I am still focused on that.

But what about ensemble films like ‘Raas’ or ‘Mrigaya’?

This has been a conscious choice. I choose films based on what my character can offer and also how convinced I am of the script. I am the protagonist of ‘Raas’. And in ‘Mrigaya’, too, I play an important role. But I think I am very focused on the part that I have to carry my own films. I have been doing this since 2021 onwards, be it ‘Shohorer Ushnotomo Din E’, ‘Pariah’, ‘Surjo’ or ‘Raas’. I have carried out all these films. Some might have been successful, some not.

With consistent performances, are you now getting more attention from the industry itself? Are the top directors taking notes?

I am not doing any of this to get attention from my industry. I am doing all of it to create a space in my audience’s heart as a leading actor on the big screen. I have had my share of love from the audience on a small screen. But I didn’t get that on the big screen until recently. Films like ‘Sesh Pata’, ‘Pariah’, ‘Shohorer Ushnotomo Din E’ and ‘Surjo’ helped change that. The audience accepted me. Also, I am keen on working with the biggest directors here like Srijit Mukerji, Kaushik Ganguly, Shiboprosad Mukhopadhyay and Raj Chakraborty. I used to be very shy when approaching work. But then I realised, I needed to say out loud that I am interested in working with them and now I do say. Having said that, I am extremely happy that relatively new directors like Tathagata Mukherjee and Abhirup Ghosh are challenging me with new characters. I got the chance to work with a brilliant director like Atanu Ghosh. I am glad that the directors and producers are trusting my talent and giving me back-to-back projects. By God’s grace, I am still one of those actors in Bengal who is working on back-to-back films in the industry. So, lady luck is with me.

Tell us about ‘Pariah 2’.

We’ll start shooting in December.

Bengali TV is going through a rough patch. Shows are getting replaced frequently. What’s going wrong?

It’s not just TV. The entire entertainment industry is in a transition… cinema, TV, OTT and even web content. The audience’s consumption pattern has changed. They now prefer short-form content on ‘Instagram’, ‘YouTube’, mini-series and micro-shows. Their attention span is shrinking. We have to understand and adapt. But I am sure that this is a transition phase and we will bounce back.

What’s the biggest issue with Bengali cinema now?

I believe one of the biggest challenges the Bengali cinema has faced in recent years is that we lost the trust of the audience. We’re now trying to rebuild that connection. And to be honest, a lot of it is on us. We’ve given them subpar content also. We must also recognise that the Bengali audience extends far beyond South and North Kolkata. The community is vast and diverse. That’s why a film like ‘Raas’, a wholesome family entertainer, is just as essential as ‘Mrigaya’, a gritty action drama. Both have their place. Both are needed.

To do or not to do

Are you more involved now in how your films are promoted and distributed?

I’ve always been hands-on, but in the last three to four years, I’ve become overly invested. I sit with the team and discuss marketing strategy, target audience and distribution. I love that process. I feel that if I want to see myself in a better place tomorrow, I might have to produce my own films one day. So, I need to understand the business side of cinema.

Are you looking to become a producer then?

I won’t say I’ve decided anything yet, but I’m definitely learning. I want to know how the cinema business runs. To grow as an actor and pursue the kind of work I truly want to do, I might have to take up producing someday. You never know.

Isn’t it sad that actors here have to turn into producers just to get the kind of work they want?

I don’t think so. Look at Bollywood. From Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan and Salman Khan to Alia Bhatt and Akshay Kumar, they’ve all done it. Here in Bengal, Dev is a great example. He’s producing and acting in his own films. Even Jeet da, Ankush, Yash and Rituparna Sengupta - all have their own production houses. But the sad part is, unlike Mumbai, our big producers aren’t investing in building new stars. So, for someone like me, either I do my own thing or I wait forever for an opportunity that may never come. I want to become a bigger version of myself. It’s not just about survival anymore, it’s about growth. I left TV at a point when I was doing really well financially, just to chase that dream of a bigger cinema. That focus is still very much alive.