In the new film Savings Account, which is streaming on Zee5 now, actor Debopriyo Mukherjee plays Jeetu, who is “extremely volatile, prone to violence and apathetic to the suffering he causes”. In a film that is about a bank heist, Jeetu has an extremely simple objective — to go in, grab the cash and get out. “If in the process, shots must be fired and blood must be shed, then so be it. So when he must choose between Abhi’s objectives and self-preservation, we start seeing him as the ticking time bomb that he is,” says the actor. A candid chat with Debopriyo.
With your film going direct to OTT, do you miss the charm of a film running in theatres?
Absolutely, I do! First, I think for anyone who is or has ever wanted to be an actor, seeing a larger-than-life version of themselves on the theatre screen has been and will continue to be one of the most rewarding experiences. Second, for me personally, the whole experience of going to watch a movie at the theatre has been such an integral part of my life and who I am. Some of my life’s fondest memories are of going to watch films at the theatres, right from way back when I was a kid. I still remember going to watch A Bug’s Life with my mom, Independence Day, Godzilla and countless other films with dad... the first date I ever went on was a matinee show of Chokher Bali. I’d like to believe that my work and the films I am a part of would also be a part of somebody else’s life, their memories. I would want somebody to remember one of my films as their first date, or be a small yet integral part of the bond between a father and his son.
Having said that, one must acknowledge that the pandemic and lockdowns have irrevocably altered people’s viewing habits. At the price of two tickets and maybe a bucket of popcorn at most multiplexes, people can now enjoy subscriptions to most OTT platforms that give them access to a wide variety of content. Add to that the fact that people now have the luxury of watching what they want, when they want for however long they want instead of adhering to specific show timings.
It goes without saying that movie industries across the globe are still trying to adapt to this new normal. Still, for a purist like me, nothing beats the experience of watching a film on the big screen, be it with friends, family, loved ones or complete strangers. For those few hours, we are all connected to each other through the magic of cinema — crying, laughing and cheering together as though we were never strangers to begin with.
Tell us about Savings Account.
I am extremely excited about it because we do not get a lot of heist films in Bengali cinema. As the trailer has already revealed, it’s about a bank robbery that goes wrong, or does it? Abhi (Ankush’s character) plans a bank heist with the help of Jeetu, played by me. Just as the robbery seems to be going smoothly, differences between Abhi and Jeetu disrupt plans while simultaneously law enforcement forces start surrounding the bank, led by the DCP played by Sayantika. As the story unfolds, Abhi’s hidden agenda and ghosts from his past start coming to the fore. What happens as all hell starts breaking loose is what Savings Account is all about.
How did you prepare for the character?
I always base my homework on the director’s brief, in this case Rajada wanted Jeetu’s aggressive and violent nature to be reflected in every aspect of my performance. When I started doing my research I hit a hurdle. You see, most career criminals who specialise in bank robberies aren’t naturally aggressive. They have nerves of steel and are very good at getting hostages to act in an orderly fashion while remaining calm themselves. The more I read up on people like Dillinger, Bonnie and Clyde, the more I realised that Jeetu specifically needs to exhibit sadistic tendencies to justify his violent acts. This research finally formed my framework. Once Rajada cleared my sketch, I was good to go.
How was your experience working with Ankush and team?
Ankush and I were both a part of Zulfiqar but we hadn’t shared screen space on that occasion barring a small shootout sequence. Working with him on Savings Account was a wonderful experience. His dedication is exemplary. One could learn from how much he has applied himself and evolved over the years.
Early in his career, he was known for his dancing skills, his action sequences and boy-next-door-looks. How well he has done to break that image while also moulding himself as an actor capable of so much more. Films like FIR and Savings Account are testament to it. He shot for Savings Account with a severe foot injury, action sequences and all. When it came to our fight sequences, I was amazed at how spot on he is with the technicalities, I learnt so much from him. It helped that Souvik Basu, our DOP, gave us ample space and freedom to do our thing. He worked around our performances and yet managed to shoot the film so brilliantly.
I didn’t have any scenes with Sayantika but we did exchange pleasantries between shots. Working with Paean was a delight too, her character bore the brunt of much of Jeetu’s violence and I was often worried about hurting her but she was extremely helpful and put me at ease. She is wonderful in the film too. The script for Savings Account was written by Bushka (Aditya Sengupta) whom I have known for many years. When I spoke to him, he confessed that of the characters that he had written, Jeetu was his favourite.
How’s it like working with Raja Chanda?
Rajada and I have actually known each other for a long time now. We bonded over our love for cricket. We both played for Midnapore Mighties in the Bengal Celebrity League. That was when I had first expressed my desire to work with him. It finally happened with Savings Account, thanks to Rabindranath Ekhane Kawkhono Khete Ashenni. He loved me as Phalu, so much so that he called me in the middle of the night right after binge-watching the entire series. As fate would have it, at the time he was looking for an actor to play Jeetu. That telephonic conversation was when I was first offered Savings Account and I said yes immediately. Once we were on sets, Rajada was extremely supportive and encouraging. He allowed me to give Jeetu a physical form in my own way and pulled me back every time I started straying from his vision but he did so in the most calm and reassuring manner. That always helps. We were shooting very difficult sequences at a frantic pace everyday, I can only imagine the amount of pressure he and his team must have been under but he never allowed me or any of the actors feel that pressure.
Did anything catch you by surprise?
Because we were shooting chronologically and with multiple camera setups, the entire shoot played out somewhat like a long, extended theatre performance. So much so that there were several occasions when the entire unit, who would be watching with rapt attention, would break into thunderous applause as soon as Rajada said“cut”. Because films don’t usually get shot that way, this was extremely uncommon and surprising.
Any fun anecdote from the shoot?
Plenty. As I said earlier both Rajada and I are cricket fanatics. Rajada even more so than I. He even carries a full cricket kit in his car. So, during the lunch breaks while the rest of the unit would be using the time to refuel and revitalise, Rajada and I would be playing cricket outside the floor.
Forthcoming projects?
I recently wrapped up my portions for Arindam Sil’s Shabash Feluda and thoroughly enjoyed being a part of it. I am extremely excited because audiences will get to see me in something unprecedented. The series should be out next year. Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury’s LOST is being premiered at IFFI Goa, which is great news for the team, it should be up for release soon. Shohorer Ushnotomo Din e is in the post production stages and I can’t wait for it to release. I play Sayak in the film, a character that I relate to so much that I somehow feel I was destined to play it. Sayak is the culmination of all my hopes, dreams, trials and tribulations. I know for a fact that audiences have never seen me in such a sensitive character before and I am extremely thankful to Aritra Sen for trusting me to play Sayak and to Sujoy Prosad Chatterjee, who was our acting coach for the film; he had called me in for the audition and introduced me to Aritra. Apart from these, there is a Hindi series that I start work on soon, perks of being a multilingual actor I guess.
