Promising a rollercoaster ride of comedy and emotions recalling the simplicity and innocence of the ’80s era, Dhrubo Banerjee’s latest Bengali film Bogla Mama Jug Jug Jiyo is being billed as a complete family entertainer. t2 sat down for a chat with actress Ditipriya Roy, who plays a pivotal role in this ensemble cast movie that hits theatres this Friday.

Is this your first stint in comedy? How was the experience?

Yes, Bogla Mama is my first comedy film. I am really grateful that I got the opportunity to work with this fantastic team with an incredible cast and crew. Starting from stalwarts like Kharajda (Mukherjee) to the young generation of actors, everyone was fun to work with. Also, this was the first time I got the chance to work with co-actors my age like Riddhi (Sen), Ujan (Chatterjee) and so that was special too. We really enjoyed ourselves the whole time, both during on-screen and off-screen moments.

Do you think it is tougher to act in a comedy?

To be honest, I didn’t have to play a comic role. My role was in having to react to the comic situations that developed all around me due to the doings of other characters. A mischievous aspect of her nature is however revealed in the end which was interesting to portray. So, no it wasn’t actually tough for me, though it is generally accepted that a comic role is more difficult to play.

Tell us something about your role, your character?

My character Madhuja is a young girl just like myself. She is shy but very intelligent, as you will find out for yourself when you watch the film. Though she hails from a village, she studies in Calcutta. There she meets Kebu (Riddhi Sen) and they fall in love. Later they grow distant and return to their own homes, which are quite far apart. How they meet and whether they reconnect and renew their relationship is what the film is about.

Do you identify with your character in any way?

Oh yes. As I already told you, Madhuja is shy, she doesn’t speak a lot. I am also like that. And like me, she is also naughty and playful, but in a way that is not always evident to others. In my case, you will realise what mischief I have been up to, hours after the actual deed is done! (Grins)

What was it like being directed by Dhrubo Banerjee?

Though this is the first time I have worked for him, I have known him since Golondaaj days. I was supposed to be a part of that project but, unfortunately, it fell through. Since then I have hoped to be a part of any project by him. What was best about having him as a director is that he gave all the actors a lot of liberty to play around with their characters. While the film was being shot, which was for nearly a month, Dhruboda also encouraged us to develop a strong bonding with our co-actors, especially with those of us who are of the same age. He conducted quite a few workshops before that to enable us to bond as friends. This helped us to portray our own characters better. This film is about friendship but it is also about the simplicity of the para culture of the ’80s, where people were not judgmental, but loving, kind and affectionate. We could deliver this feel of the film in the way our director helped us bond with one another off-screen.

Tell us your experience of working with Kharaj Mukherjee.

As you know, Kharajda is an institution in himself. The opportunity of watching him perform from such close quarters is a reward on its own. His character and look for this film made me think that he is the perfect fit for this role, he is actually Bogla Mama. It is almost as if the author wrote the story with him in mind. He was one of the main guiding forces while making this film. He would constantly guide us and give us tips to improve our performance. It was also good to know that besides the director, who can be extremely busy with so many other problems, you had somebody to turn to for guidance and help. Not just him, but we also had senior, experienced colleagues like Koushik Sen, Rajatava Dutta, Reshmi Sen, Aparajita Adhya and others who were always around, ever ready to help and guide us kids, making our job so much easier.

Do you like watching comedy films yourself?

It’s not that I am particularly fond of the comedy genre. But I have recently enjoyed watching a comedy series in English called Schitt’s Creek on Netflix. Another series I loved is Friends, which though a comedy, is full of all sorts of emotions; it made us laugh and it made us cry too. That is the kind of story I like best. In our comedies, there’s often a tendency to force the viewer to laugh by the actions and antics of the characters. However, in Bogla Mama there is nothing of the sort. Comedic situations arise spontaneously from the story and the actors are merely reacting or responding to them. In spite of that, I guarantee you that the audience will find the film genuinely funny with lots of laugh-out-loud moments and that they will be seen coming out of the theatre with wide smiles on their faces.

Would you find yourself accepting roles in other comedy films?

Of course, I would. But, at the same time, I am aware that it’s more difficult to act in comic roles, as I have said already. You see in comedy it’s very important that the actor doesn’t try to be comical or does not explicitly say or do things in a funny manner. Yet the audience should find them amusing and be compelled to laugh at them. That is where comedy becomes challenging. And as you will find in Bogla Mama, though it is a laugh riot, the story has various angles to it. It deals with friendship, romance, family bonding and so many other kinds of relationships. I certainly look forward to working in films that have something more to convey while making the audience have a good time.

What are the things that matter to you most when choosing a film?

First and foremost, I have to really like the story. After that, I put myself in the audience’s shoes and consider whether I would want to watch a film with this kind of a story, in the theatre. Or if it’s a series, would the audience prefer to watch a show like this while relaxing at home?

So are you open to going back to work in television serials again?

Not at the moment. But life is unpredictable. Right now I am very busy with films and web-series and there are no plans as such, but you never know, tomorrow I might want to work in television again!

Any chance that fans may see you working in Bollywood projects?

Again, nothing as of now. But yes, there are offers and talks are on about them. Let’s see how they work out for me.

As one of our youngest Tollywood actors, you are yet to complete your studies. How much of a challenge is it to balance shooting schedules with studying?

Yes, I am currently doing my Masters in Sociology from Techno India University. I have to regularly attend lectures at the university for this. Earlier, I obtained my bachelor’s degree from Ashutosh College. Balancing studies and acting is something I have been used to doing since childhood. I am actually trained that way. Initially, it was difficult, as I had to take both my school board examinations when I was shooting for the daily soap Karunamoyee Rani Rashmoni. At that time there were no restrictions on hours of shoot per day like we have now. There have been times when we have shot for 24 hours at a stretch, and have stayed up shooting all night. Even after that I cleared by Class XII boards with very good results. Now also I have serious plans about further studies and let’s hope I can go ahead with them.

What is the best compliment you have got for your work so far?

There have been several, but I have had fans reacting in really extraordinary ways to my performance as Rani Rashmoni. On one such occasion, a fan from Bangladesh was so moved to see me at a wedding that she gazed at me with folded hands and then started crying!