I turn down two scripts every week in Bengal: Saswata Chatterjee

When the teaser for Nag Ashwin’s ‘Kalki 2898 AD’ was revealed, Saswata Chatterjee in the mega-starrer mythology-inspired sci-fi film was almost unrecognisable. Most of his scenes till now have been with Deepika Padukone and soon he will share the screen with Kamal Haasan too. But the initial shooting experience with Deepika in Hyderabad has been extremely exhilarating for Saswata.

“My introduction scene was shot almost for three days. So, you can understand the magnanimity of the project, which also stars Amitabh Bachchan and Prabhas,” he said.

Saswata fondly remembered his first day of shooting at ‘Annapurna Studios’ in Hyderabad. He shared an interesting encounter with Deepika during that time. He told her about his daughter being a big fan of hers. “Deepika came to the set around 10:30 am and even though she didn’t have any scenes until 5 pm, she was incredibly easygoing. She spent her time laughing with her team near the makeup van, without any fuss,” he said.

“After the shoot, as I was heading back to the hotel, I received an envelope. Inside was a black-and-white photograph of Deepika. She had addressed my daughter and even signed an autograph. It truly reflects her sportsmanship spirit, considering her father is the renowned badminton icon Prakash Padukone,” he added.

Saswata, who will be wrapping up the shooting for Anurag Basu’s ‘Metro... In Dino’ alongside Sara Ali Khan and Aditya Roy Kapur in September, is currently enjoying the success of the Bengali web series ‘Abar Proloy’. In this latest venture, he returns as super cop Animesh Dutta in Raj Chakraborty’s ‘Proloy’ franchise, a decade after the film had been released.

In ‘Abar Proloy’, there’s a noticeable shift as Saswata engages in several intense fight sequences, a departure from the original ‘Proloy’ in 2013. “For those who have followed the series, they’ll notice that ‘Proloy’ was merely a glimpse of what you now see in the web series. It represented only about two percent of the whole picture. Animesh Dutta has matured significantly in ‘Abar Proloy,’” he shared.

‘Proloy’ certainly brought Saswata a unique set of fans, but he’s confident that his fan base has grown even more after the release of ‘Abar Proloy’. He thanked directors Arindam Sil and Raj Chakraborty for providing him with opportunities to play police officers in ‘Aschhe Abar Shabor’ and ‘Abar Proloy’.

Lately, Saswata has been prominently involved in Hindi projects. His exceptional portrayal as BJ in the popular web series ‘The Night Manager’ and as David in ‘Tooth Pari: When Love Bites’ have earned him significant acclaim. Additionally, he’s part of Rajesh Krishnan’s upcoming movie ‘The Crew’, which features Kareena Kapoor Khan, Tabu and Kriti Sanon.

Recalling a memorable moment, Saswata shared how Anil Kapoor hugged him warmly and called him the ‘Bengal tiger’ after his performance in the lobster scene on the set of ‘The Night Manager’.

Still cherished for his exceptional portrayal of the antagonist Bob Biswas in ‘Kahaani’ (2012), Saswata’s focus has now shifted towards projects beyond the Bengali film industry and he has his reasons. “In the past, I faced challenges with adjusting schedules for Hindi films due to my commitments in Bengali cinema. However, I’ve now chosen to be selective with my work in Bengal. I will only take on roles that have substance and significance. My primary focus is now on projects outside the Bengali film industry. As an actor, my duty is to captivate a wider audience with my performances,” he explained.

Given his reputation as one of Bengal’s most accomplished actors, some might question whether he’s not getting significant roles in the region. In response, Saswata clarified, “In the Bengali industry, I actually turn down around two scripts every week.”

A bevy of Kolkata-based actors including Swastika Mukherjee, Tota Roy Chowdhury, Parambrata Chatterjee, Paoli Dam, Prosenjit Chatterjee and Jisshu Sengupta are increasingly venturing into OTT and Hindi films. So, the question arises: Are the talents from Bengal gradually moving away? “Those who believe they dominate the Bengali film industry would be in a better place to answer this,” he smiled.

Meanwhile, all are aware of the acclaim Tota has been receiving for his acting and dancing skills in Karan Johar’s movie ‘Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahani’. Interestingly, it was originally Saswata who was offered Tota’s role (as Alia Bhatt’s dad). However, Saswata turned it down due to his lack of dancing abilities. “I declined the film because I’m not a dancer. Tota is a far better dancer and the role required strong dancing skills. I knew that I couldn’t become a dancer within the short span of a month and a half of training. I value honesty in my work. I might accept the role, but it wouldn’t be fair to producers and directors if I couldn’t deliver. It’s always better to admit when I don’t possess a skill. Even the makers appreciated my honesty,” he said.