Swastika Dutta’s serials have always scored high on the popularity scale, be it Ki Kore Bolbo Tomay or Bhojo Gobindo. Her characters have become so endearing that people often call her by the screen names. In the new film Nagar Baul Katha, Swastika plays a musician called Poly. The Telegraph chats with the pretty actress.
You have recently shot for web shows and now the film Nagar Baul Katha (also starring Sawon Chakroborty). How has the transition been from successfully working in serials?
The transition is definitely different. In serials you usually get a chance to work with one camera... in that case there’s too much of rush for completing the shoot on time... it is also about more indoor shoots. For a movie, one has to change costumes for every scene and Poly had 17 pairs of dresses to change throughout the movie. Shooting for OTT is somewhat similar to films... several shots are taken for one dialogue scene, from different angles. Yes, for films and for OTT shoots, the challenge lies in remembering the action continuity because the director will take a lot of shots of the same portions, so you have to remember your action continuity for every single shot... you just cannot afford to change your actions in every shot.
Do you miss shooting every day for serials?
I just don’t know anything except acting. And shooting every day for me was something which I miss every single minute. Now that I have a lot of time to spend on my “creative self”, I am preparing myself to work harder, eating well, watching a lot of good stuff. I am utilising my time to the fullest.
Would you like to be a part of serials again? What kind of roles would you like to explore?
I am preparing myself to present a new me on television soon. I have taken a small break so that my audience finds my characters exciting and fresh. In the last couple of years I have always been presented in very glamorous characters and in a very commercial way. I have even heard that I would not be able to pull off the rural look. So I want to play a social worker’s character or a double role of a thief and a police officer, a very different project in which people will laugh a lot, fall in love and will cry at emotional scenes.
How would you describe your look in Nagar Baul Katha?
Since Poly is a musician, my look has been kept quite trendy. The signature look of Poly is with dark kajal and leather jackets... it also is the USP of my character. Poly has gone through a dark childhood so her costumes reflect the dark shades... even her lip colour... maroon, red, black.
Tell us about your character?
Well, Poly is a musician, she breathes music just like me... in fact, I have a tattoo saying “Breathe Music”. Poly is the lead vocalist of her college band named Jukebox. Her name is Polomi but everyone in college calls her Poly. She is friendly all the time but can lose her cool when one crosses the line. This character has gone through a dark childhood, detached from her parents, and has witnessed incidents which a 10-12-year-old kid should never have and whenever the flashes come Poly gets distracted and breaks down.
Portraying these characteristics on screen for the first time was quite challenging. Poly doesn’t talk much and the audience will see her with earphones or her guitar throughout the movie. She appreciates talent, and for her talent is something which should always be nurtured and supported.
How did you prepare for this role?
Well, this is my first project with Roadshow Films but my second venture with Zee Bangla Cinema Originals. When I got a call for this project at that point of time I was quite busy with a few of my other project commitments and I only got a couple of days to prepare for the character and could attend only one workshop. Also the character demanded me to know how to play guitar and honestly I had no clue how to play till Shovan Ganguly helped me figure out things regarding playing the guitar.
Our director Aranyak Chatterjee and his team were extremely helpful and working with Aranyak Sir was an amazing experience as he helped me a lot with the dialogues, the feel between the lines... and I must say he takes lovely shots.
How was the shooting experience?
It was quite hectic because the schedule was tight and we had to complete Nagar Baul Katha’s entire shoot within eight days. So that was a huge challenge altogether. We shot at real locations, college campuses as the story revolves around college life. I remember we were shooting my song sequence and it was late at night in this cold winter season and I remember all my co-actors were shivering except me. My leather jacket offered some warmth!
What is your takeaway from the experience?
I got to know a lot about the folk culture of Bengal and Bengali heritage. I got to listen to many folk songs which I wasn’t aware of. It’s not always necessary or a rule to wear a sari and sing a folk song, you can sing it wearing jeans and jacket too. It was really very exciting for me to shoot for a film after a long time and I realised that shooting for movies requires a lot of patience.
A moment from Nagar Baul Katha
The storyline...
Abhilash, a dewy-eyed village boy, comes to the city to fulfill his mother’s dream. He has problems at first while adapting to his new surroundings as he feels he is not in sync with the new life. A singer and music lover at heart, he joins a band named Akor in college. He befriends Anandi and Atani, who introduce him to the highs of city life.
The story takes a new turn when he falls in love with Poly, a singer from the rival band, Jukebox. Fights spark off owing to the different mindsets of the band members. To make life worse for him, Rohan, a singer of Jukebox and Poly’s on-and-off boyfriend, makes it a point to humiliate Abhilash and prove his superiority. Abhilash starts believing that Poly loves him, and slowly distances himself from his friends and Akor, to be close to her. Through various twists and turns the climax sees two rival bands competing at the college fest. Who finally wins the competition? Will Abhilash reunite with his friends and find his way back to music? The questions are answered in the final act of Nagar Baul Katha.