It was a memorable Durga Puja for Abir Chatterjee. His Puja release Raktabeej is a box-office success and he has been getting rave reviews for the portrayal of his character Pankaj Sinha in the film while winning immense adulation from the audience. “Raktabeej has connected with the Bangali sentiment. There is a captivating story around Durga Puja, and there is an emotional bond between a brother and sister. It’s a compelling thriller as well as a sensitive Bengali emotional tale. Successfully combining both these elements is a masterstroke from filmmakers Nandita Roy and Shiboprosad Mukherjee,” said Abir. A t2 chat.

Congratulations on the success of Raktabeej....

Thank you. There is this renewed interest and energy in watching Bengali films in the theatres during Durga Puja. I’ve seen this trend growing. We need to analyse this for the way ahead. The discussion about whose film did more business will always go on. This competition will go on. But one should also look into the audience profile and which films they are watching.

During the Pujas, a large number of people come to Calcutta in the morning from the suburbs. They visit pandals and enjoy their lunch and dinner at restaurants. One needs to figure out what percentage of that audience is coming to the multiplex. Industry insiders should reflect on this and analyse it.

There should be a serious discussion by the people from the industry. So many brands are coming to Calcutta now. Why is that happening? How can we make it more mainstream? How can we include more people in this process? Now is the time we should discuss this.

I am thankful and honoured that audiences are watching our films in such large numbers. Last year Karnasubarner Guptodhon made blockbuster business. I am really happy for the success of Raktabeej. Now we are already thinking of what movies should we offer during the Pujas next year. That’s a huge pressure. We also need to get away from this trend of releasing big-ticket films during holidays. Otherwise, there will not be a wholesome improvement. The combined business of all four films released during Puja is very positive. At the same time, we need to focus on non-holiday releases also.

In the last few days, we saw many industry insiders tweeting box-office numbers of the recent Bengali releases. But you did not tweet any. Why?

My fans have asked me this question — why am I not tweeting box-office numbers? If you go through my social media posts, I have never ever shared this since I believe that being an actor I should not be talking about the film business or film numbers. Only the producers, financers, makers, and distributors are eligible to do so. I don’t look after the business side of things. The moment I produce a film I’ll definitely go through the numbers. I am a student of finance. Economics was one of my favourite subjects. I know how to number crunch. But till now, I don’t have access to it (box-office numbers)... I am not eligible. Numbers are very, very important but I am not the right person to share all this. I follow this principle. I am always indebted to my audience. I have thanked my audience in my posts. I go through the reviews and feedback.

Both your successful Puja releases of 2022 and 2023 fall into the thriller-adventure space. People want to see a sequel to Raktabeej. Will this trend dictate the making of films in the future?

The whole world loves this trend of sequels and franchises. There are multiverses happening. The makers want to create an interest and reap its benefits. The characters become familiar and people easily relate to those characters and the storyline. They want to know what happens next. Everybody will say I am the last person to say this, but let me be very clear — I am not fond of sequels. If the franchise is planned from the beginning, like the Sonada franchise, then I am fine. The second Sonada script was ready when I was shooting the first one. I knew there were multiple stories of Byomkesh.

But we have seen many successful films being made into sequels which I was not in favour of. Some have become successful while some have not. For me, the most important thing is to provide new stories and characters. If one tries to reap the benefits of a successful film, complacency sets in. The excitement that the first film had at times gets diluted in the sequel. Throughout film history, you will see that Part II is not as popular as Part I. Of course, there are some rare exceptions. Also, when watching shows on OTT people have gotten into this habit of watching Seasons 2, 3, 4. They want to see a continuation. That mindset is also getting reflected in films. For me, the magic and excitement of cinema work in those two hours. I am not very fond of sequels.

What do you have to say about the success of thrillers or adventure films?

Bengalis take pride in their intellect. The pride gets a boost while watching a thriller. They become the detective when they are watching a thriller. They go through the deduction process while watching the film. The audience also tries to solve the riddle. They go through the same beats. Also, people are consuming all kinds of thrillers which provide edge-of-the-seat content. Soft nuances and moments of silence are getting lost. People want to see hard-hitting subjects.

Abir in Raktabeej

With audiences enjoying 40-second reels, the level of patience has also gone down...

Yes. It’s as if one wants to see a kill in every three minutes of a film. The trend of successful thrillers is a reflection of our society. We are all so restless; we are all searching or trying to do something with that sense of immediacy.

In the past, you have tried your hands at comedy. But when that doesn’t work that well at the box office, how do you deal with the situation?

I get very irritated. It seems funny when I look at it from a long shot. People watch the same film on an OTT platform and appreciate it and say that it is a feel-good film. Of course, we can’t force anyone to watch a film in the theatres. We can only request. Maybe the feel-good film doesn’t provide the adrenaline rush for audiences to go to the theatres. I have to keep working harder.

Will you keep on experimenting with your choice of subjects?

I can try, provided my audience likes to watch it. The writers and makers provide me with the scripts, and I can only choose the ones that excite me. Of course, I will keep in mind the box-office numbers of my last film. If I see I have been offered five thrillers and one non-thriller, then my pool of choice is already reduced.

Did you give your own input for Raktabeej?

The script was so complete. Everything was so ready and planned. It is a collaborative art form and 99 per cent of the people I work with are open to suggestions. I felt that my character needed a moustache. I suggested and they agreed. My audience from the age group of four to 12 didn’t like my moustache. They felt my Sonada look works best. But audiences from the age group of 12 to 82 loved my moustachioed look.

The film has lots of action scenes too...

Physically and mentally certain things worked in my favour. First, my series Avrodh Season 2. I got to interact with real-life heroes during its making. I had tried to understand their psyche. I have seen their body language... what actually motivates them to take such huge risks. For the physicality part, I owe everything to Offbeat Strength. Working out is about being fit, both physically and mentally. It is a wholesome process for me. The workout session also helps me to combat negativity. It gives the physical agility so that I can work harder in different weather conditions, and I can attempt different action scenes in films. It is about being consistent and disciplined. It is about physical and mental alignment.