Padatik, Srijit Mukherji’s centenary tribute to auteur Mrinal Sen, is playing in theatres now. A t2 chat with Chanchal Chowdhury who portrays the role of its protagonist.

Viewing the trailer gave us goosebumps. How did it feel getting into the skin of such a great personality and giant of Indian cinema?

I don’t know how successful I have been in representing Mrinal Sen’s character. The audience will be the best judge of that once they have watched the film. I have tried my level best. You cannot depict the firm resolve, ideals, and philosophy of life of such a powerful character as Sen just by making an actor look like him. The idea was to discover and feel the power within his soul and try to articulate that through my acting. It was a great opportunity for me as an actor and I hope I could do justice to it.

The physical resemblance is extraordinary. How much did that help you in bringing out the soul of the character?

When I enact any role, I put in all my honest efforts to become that character from within. The look and get-up of the character, the dialogues, how I am being directed to act it out, my acting skills — all these together have helped me to bring the character to life.

As I have said earlier, getting to the soul of the character is important, more than the physical likeness. This is especially true of biopics, though for other stories too, the look of the character must match his personality.

What kind of preparation was necessary before you could start shooting for the film?

I started to prepare for the role soon after I had talks with Srijitda and got the confirmation that I would play Mrinal Sen in his film. Though I had already seen many films by Sen, Srijitda would from time to time send me writings on his life. He also gave me all of Sen’s films to watch. I tried to understand his thoughts and ideals as expressed through his films. I studied the documentaries on him in detail to get an insight into his way of life. These were the main sources that helped me prepare for my character. But as the film was shot soon after I suffered a personal bereavement, I got relatively less time to mentally prepare myself for the role. I am grateful to Srijitda for helping me fill any gaps that may have remained.

Could you share your experience of working with Srijit Mukherji?

Srijitda is a gifted filmmaker. He has directed many successful films, so his merits as a director are known to everybody. Naturally, I had nurtured a hope of working with him. Fortunately, I got an opportunity and the experience has been very rewarding. He has all the skill sets necessary to be a complete filmmaker. He is confident, has a keen understanding of cinema and I found it a joy to work with him. I look forward to more such opportunities in future.

It must have been an exceptional experience portraying Mrinal Sen. Do you think you have changed as a person in any way as a result of working in this film?

To me, the entire process of portraying this role was quite immersive. I had surrendered myself so completely to the character that even after shooting ended, I retained Mrinal Sen’s style of sitting down, walking, talking, and so on. I had studied and practised his mannerisms for six months and tried to internalise that into my character. Naturally, it also took another six months to free myself from the habits and gestures that were so typical of him. Sometimes I feel that I have acquired some of his mannerisms unconsciously and sometimes continue to walk or talk in his style, without being aware of it myself.

What is your take on Sen’s political opinions? Do you think mass revolutions are the answer to people’s problems?

I find his ideals very inspiring. He has made films on people from the working class and those from the underprivileged, deprived, downtrodden sections of society. His lens focuses on the reality of their lives and their rights. I am in complete agreement with his beliefs, as they are in tune with the way I have been brought up. I have huge respect for his vision. While working on the film, I have come to know about him on a much deeper level and I believe that I have imbibed some part of his philosophy and ideology, which will stay with me for a lifetime.

I don’t think I am entitled or qualified to comment on his political opinions. But I do believe that mass movements and rebellions are a legitimate way by which common people can wrest what is rightfully theirs from the exploitative, ruling classes.

What’s next on the horizon for you in terms of your screen performances?

At the moment, I am concentrating on both films and OTT. Talks are on to finalise projects both in Bangladesh and Calcutta, which will be divulged by the makers at the right time.