The cars come to a stop in front of a Southern Avenue cafe on an overcast September day. Out steps Rukmini Maitra. A few minutes later Dev strides into the spacious room for a special t2 chat about their October 8 film Tekka, directed by Srijit Mukherji. “We are confident that Tekka will strike the right chord with the audience,” they say. Starring Dev, Rukmini Maitra and Swastika Mukherjee in pivotal roles, the film is expected to be an edge-of-the-seat thriller.

The trailer of Tekka dropped recently. How’s the response?

Dev: I am extremely happy. People have loved the trailer. The common man’s story has resonated with the audience. Such films are rarely made in Bengal these days. The colour palette, the theme, the story and the characters have come in for a lot of praise. It was difficult for many to imagine me playing a common man.
Rukmini: I loved Dev’s performance in Bunohaans. (Turning to Dev) I have a question for you. This is your 45th film. Do you feel you have delivered your career-best performance in Tekka?
Dev: I don’t think so. Portraying certain characters comes organically. I put in a lot of hard work in films such as Chander Pahar and Golondaaj. I had to get into the skin of the character in Golondaaj, which was a period film, and learn the way Nagendra Prasad Sarbadhikary walked or talked. I really felt for the character (Iqlakh) I played in Tekka.
Rukmini: It is Dev’s best performance. Once you see the film, you’ll realise why I am saying this. I had to think a lot about Maya since the character was complex.
Dev: All my shots were done in one take mostly.
Rukmini: On paper, Maya was impactful and interesting. With her look, we broke the mould. Srijit saw Maya as an alpha female. She’s in her absolute masculine energy... there’s a balance between her masculine and feminine energy. At the same time, there are five different people within Maya. She is very aware of the people living within her. Like a deck of cards, Maya is continuously reshuffling her emotions, calculations, methods and manipulations. Maya was a very difficult character for me to play... because of the way she walks, and talks... the way she commands the room was very different from the way I do it or from the characters that I have played in the past.
Dev: Rukmini is brilliant in the film. After I watched the first half, I called her up, congratulated her and told her that I had never seen her like this before in a film.

Rukmini: When it comes to thrillers, people start to make their guesses once the teaser or trailer comes out. With Tekka, it started with the character posters. After the release of the teaser and trailer, expectations are getting reshuffled like a deck of cards. It has led to many fan theories.

One of the theories is that there will be various twists and Dev’s character will undergo a change and turn out to be someone else like it happened in Kabir...

Dev: The only regret I have about Kabir is that people started talking highly about the film a year after its release. Once you watch Tekka, you’ll be like, ‘How is it possible?’ The more you watch it, the more you’ll discover something new about Tekka. That is the best part about the film.

Is the film about fighting the system?

Dev: If you want to make a film about the common man, the system will come into focus.Rukmini: Cinema is a representation of society.Dev: And the system is about its rules... the rules of the system, the rules of society. Iqlakh might be talking about reforming the system.

How was your shooting experience?

Rukmini: I cried on set! There’s a particular scene where I enter a room, tell Iqlakh something... and then he starts crying. Seeing him like that I choked in that moment... I was so moved that I started to cry. I felt that energy so strongly. Srijit is very particular about what he wants, how he wants and when he wants it. He wants you to come across like a blade. He is sharpness-focused. He knows what he wants.

I am very proud of the work Dev and I have shared on screen. If a pair is repeated on screen, we like to see them in a romantic avatar. Every time Dev and I have come together on screen, our chemistry as a pair has been very different. We have broken the mould every single time.

Dev, there is a scene in Autograph where we see two people walking by carrying the Challenge poster even as Indraneil Sengupta and a producer carry on a conversation. Visually the producer gave a challenge to Indraneil’s character. So Srijit and you go back a long way!

Dev: Nice observation. With Tekka, I wanted to do a different kind of film with Srijit. I felt that we should do something new when we are coming back after Zulfiqar. Srijit narrated the story to us and we loved it. This is the boldest character I have ever played. I believed in Iqlakh... and the way he speaks. I loved the character’s background. It is a very important, socially relevant film. In my acting career, I have always taken risks. Here, I took some time to convince myself that I can say certain words, which do justice to the character.

If you were offered a film where you had to say cuss words, 10 years ago, would you have done it?

Dev: I would have said no. The mindset of people was different then. I feel the audience, who watches films regularly, is ready now to accept the fact that a superstar can play such characters. It takes a lot of guts to play a character like this.Rukmini: When I joined the film industry seven years ago, the shift had already happened. It was more about telling convincing stories. Of course, now there is a Pradhan, a Tonic...Dev: And those films will continue...Rukmini: ...if the actor respects what he is doing and is true to the character, the audience is bound to be convinced and respect his / her decisions. If the character hurls a swear word with honesty, people will understand it is the character talking. If the actor can convince me, then the job is done. The way Srijit convinced all of us to do what we did on that set is truly remarkable.Dev: Srijit has done a brilliant job. I am very happy as a producer. This is the first time I am working with Srijit as a producer. The best part is that he owns the film and fights for it. It is a huge support. I like this. I have to reach out to everyone. And I’m sure that people will write about this film after watching it. They’ll love it.

Rukmini, what’s the one new thing you learnt from Dev?

Rukmini: I was intimidated by Dev’s superstar screen presence on the first-day shoot of Chaamp. Today I am intimidated by Dev’s superlative acting performance on the sets of Tekka. Dev is somebody who instils that confidence in me as an actor. He encourages me to try out things. He has taught me to be determined, and disciplined... to respect the moment between ‘action’ and ‘cut’ and only work for that... your movie will outlive you. You draw inspiration from the person next to you. At times I try to follow his walk as well... to enter with that powerful dominance.

Dev, after producing 14 films, do you feel the need to prove yourself every time?

Dev: I love cinema and I am very passionate about it. We want to tell rooted stories that have never been told in Bangla. From the beginning, I was very focused. I knew what I had to achieve. I had delivered the biggest blockbusters. But there was no cinematic bridge to connect Calcutta with Howrah. I thought that I’d connect the bridge. It took me seven years (as a producer). I know what I can do. I have produced 14 films till now and I am happy and proud.

You play a man on a mission in Tekka and your mission as a producer is to tell untold stories...

Dev: Yes. My only regret is that I could not release Hobu Chandra Raja Gobu Chandra Mantri in the theatres. It is one of the best films I have made for children.

Rukmini: Dev Entertainment Ventures is revolutionary. Not one film is the same as the other. It has the audacity to produce all kinds of films... from a boxing film, an aviation story, a children’s film to a thriller like Tekka. Dev Entertainment Ventures has always looked forward to providing a safe environment for women, making sure to create a safe space for newcomers.

Outfit: Bahara

Hair: Mousami Chhetri

Make-up: Pritam Das

Location courtesy: Bunaphile Roasters