Over the years, superstar Jeet has performed many eye-popping action sequences, which are strongly etched in the minds of the audiences. When it comes to comedy films, he is blessed with perfect comic timing. Jeet’s latest film Boomerang will see a mix of both. The sci-fi comedy film, which releases today in theatres, promises to be a feast for the eyes and ears. A t2 chat with Jeet.

Q: With Boomerang, did you want to shift gears and do a comedy? Was that playing on your mind?

I am always excited to do a film in the comedy genre. A mix of simplicity, innocence and playfulness works wonders. Boomerang looks visually interesting and has a family appeal. The content is fresh and new. When it comes to entertainment, you get the most laughs from comedy. The film has a wonderful set of actors... an ensemble cast. Apart from me, there is Rukmini (Maitra) who is wonderful in the film. She is fantastic as the robot... she has carried it off really well. The film also stars Saurav Das, Shyamal Chakraborty, Rajatava Dutta, Kharaj Mukherjee, and Ambarish Bhattacharya. All are good actors.

Q: Have you ever faced the ‘boomerang’ effect?

The Telegraph

(Laughs) Life can surprise you every day. The fun of life is that we do not know what is in store for us. Life is unpredictable... sometimes it gives you happiness and you find yourself in a favourable space... and sometimes you face the boomerang effect.

The trailer has some really funny lines...

You’ll enjoy it more when you watch the film. Apart from the funny lines, there are visual gags as well... such as when Nisha (the robot played by Rukmini) picks up my screen dad and Samar (Jeet) in protest calls out: ‘Baba ‘tuley’ kono kotha noye.’

Q: Did you have your input as well?

It came from our writing team, where Sauvik (Kundu; the director) was also involved and there were other people too. The structure of the story comes from the play Punoray Ruby Ray, and then the dialogues were written by the writing team.

Q: Why did you decide to make a film based on a play?

We were looking for a light-hearted comedy film that would entertain people. The last few films (mostly action films) were in a dark space. For example, Chengiz saw the journey of the underdog. That connected with so many people. Chengiz was someone who had no boundaries and no limits.

So we thought that maybe a certain kind of monotony was setting in, and that’s when we decided to do something in the comedy genre. That’s when Sauvik watched the play and came up with the idea. This is the first time we have produced a film based on a play.

Q: What were your plans for the VFX?

There are quite a few scenes where VFX has been used. Then we created a humanoid and showed the process as well. We wanted the VFX to be in good hands, especially for this film. We got in touch with Knack Studios... they have done the VFX work for many popular Indian films such as Leo and Jailer... that’s how they came on board.

Q. Bengali cinema has always been a bit hesitant about producing sci-fi films... the production costs go up. They say it is a risky venture. Why take it up then?

Because of the process and the output... both are very unique. You work within a studio but you show that you are flying across the universe. It involves a lot of imagination. As a creative person, one gets to visualise it, and that’s the fun part.

Q: So the shooting experience must have been very different since you were also shooting against green screens...

Yes... it was a very interesting experience... besides the technology part, there is a lot of family drama that takes place because of a misunderstanding among the members... when they debate whether she is the wife or the robot. At its heart, Boomerang is a very Bangali film. We have tried to keep the core very organic. The film has a vision.

Q: Did you have a reference to create the superhero?

No. We went through a process and came up with sketches of different kinds of body suits. Finally, we zeroed in on the final one. Everything started from scratch. Sauvik is very committed and serious about his work. He is evolving with every film. With Boomerang, there has been a remarkable growth in his work.

Q: You are finally making your national OTT debut with Khakee Season 2. Were you thinking of making your OTT debut for a long time now?

I was always open to it (OTT); I started with television and then films happened. One can see the huge boom of OTT.

Q: What is your takeaway from the Boomerang shoot and the story?

From the shoot, it has to be the set we created for the lab. It was really interesting. It is a very futuristic-looking lab. Virtual phones to bikes to robots were created. From the film, I feel the audience will remember Nisha, the humanoid.

Q. Is your daughter Navanya excited about Boomerang?

Yes (smiles). She has seen the first sequence and she loved it.