The story of the KLIKK series Inspector Nalinikanta 2 starts on the outskirts of Calcutta where two skeletons are found in a farmhouse. The owner of the farmhouse is Supriya Mukherjee, a business tycoon of the hills, a social worker, and a future member of the legislative assembly in the upcoming election. Nalinikanta is required to ask Mukherjee some questions about his enquiry. Parama gives him company. Shakya, who was a junior of Nalini at the time of the Gorkhaland movement, is now a sub-inspector of the nearby police station.

He comes to receive Nalinikanta. The day Nalini reaches the hills, Mukherjee is murdered mysteriously, with a sharp weapon, in his own house. As the narrative progresses, revelations start tumbling out like the proverbial skeletons in the cupboard.

Directed by Soumik Chatterjee, the series stars Rajatava Dutta, Amrita Chattopadhyay, Suprobhat Das, Chandak Chowdhury, Raja Chatterjee and Manas Mukherjee. A t2 chat with Amrita...

How is the feedback so far for?

The feedback has been good so far. Since the franchise is popular, people really wanted to see the second part. The best compliment has been from the director, Soumikda... he really appreciated the minute things I tried to incorporate; that’s the biggest takeaway so far. On a script level, I found my character very well written, with a lot of scope to perform.

Tell us about your character.

Nandini is a meticulous planner and a very organised person. Though the wife of a rich businessman, she doesn’t flaunt money. A learned musician, she teaches young girls at an NGO for free. She is always focused on the broader goal — to do something for society in her own small way, rather than for herself. Also, her goal-orientedness makes her slightly robotic, neutral, and less expressive. The director had a clear picture of how the character should be; we discussed a lot before the shoot, and also during the shoot to make sure our thoughts aligned on this.

How was your shooting experience?

We shot in beautiful locations in North Bengal, from mountains to rivers, jungles, tea gardens... we had it all. We also stayed inside a forest, in a guesthouse. The beautiful locations of North Bengal blended really well into the narrative! As I reached my hotel, just before my shoot, I came to know that an elephant had wandered and had damaged a wall. This resort was right in the middle of a forest, and that got me a little scared, but thankfully he didn’t turn up at shoots! We bonded really well with all our team members. It was indeed lovely how everyone went beyond their immediate role to make things work smoothly.

How was working with Rajatava Dutta?

This is my first experience working with Rajatava Dutta. It was lovely. The stories of various shoots and the fact that we had the scope to discuss, modify and improvise were indeed a delight. There’s always so much to learn from such an amicable senior actor. Our director would be the perfect foodie, simultaneously balancing shot-taking and enquiring about interesting food in locations.

Rajatavada is a very humble and helpful co-actor. The best part of working with an experienced co-actor is the exchange that happens at the discussion level and while performing. And getting compliments from him later, after he watched the preview, added to the fun. He is a perfect team player.

What was your takeaway from the whole experience?

In outdoor shoots, often sudden changes in weather lead to a lot of logistical changes in the scene/shoot as well. The way the whole team showed adaptability was commendable. The DoP, the directorial team, the production team, also the actors tried to manage to make things work for the better. After all, it’s a team game always.

Are you a big fan of detective stories?

Oh yes! I’m a big fan of detective stories! Be it Feluda, Byomkesh or Kiriti, Sherlock Holmes and whatnot! There’s a web series called The Sinner on Netflix, I was blown away by its first season! What a complex story and what performances! The police detective is himself a victim in his personal life; the way the whole story has been executed is just outstanding.

Which are some of your favourites?

When it comes to books, I think Byomkesh has very complex characters, though we have seen too much of it, but its charm is different. I loved the way Dibakar Banerjee presented Byomkesh. I loved Sushant Singh Rajput’s performance! BBC’s Sherlock hits in a different way too!

Often detective shows lack well-written female characters. Is it changing for the better now?

Yes, they do, but I think it’s changing with the times. For example, Sujoy Ghosh’s Kahaani, which has become a cult film now, had such a delicious character in Vidya Bagchi! In several web shows, the female problem solver plays a meaty part. Funnily, now that I recall, I was the only female character and the lead in Riingo’s Varanasi Junction. Also, Radhika Apte’s character of a cop in Monica, O My Darling is a favourite.

How has the year shaped you?

Workwise the second half is busier, and quite a few releases lined up as well. It began with Nalinikanta 2, and after that, my film Chabiwala will have its theatrical release, followed by two web shows, and another film travelling to festivals simultaneously.