They love working out, cycling and watching web shows together. Recently they also shot for a television show from home. Actors Gourab Chatterjee (who is the grandson of legendary actor Uttam Kumar) and Devlina Kumar got to discover new facets about each other in the past few months. A chat with The Telegraph...

How have the last few months been like?

Gourab: Well, the last few months were different. For us actors to finish a project and wait for the next takes time. Sometimes months. But this time it felt different. As if we were held captive. Thankfully Devlina stays very close to my house. She would come over and we would spend time every day watching web shows, cooking, having tea in the evening. We would go to the terrace and join my family. It was nice to see other families and neighbours connecting with each other from their respective balconies and terraces.
Devlina: The last few months have been a time for self-introspection. There were moments of depression, boredom but I got a lot of time for myself, my family and of course we both shared a lot of time together, which is difficult to get generally.

Both of you shot for a Zee Bangla show from home during lockdown. How did you prepare for it?

Gourab: Both of us got the offer from Zee Bangla to do this lockdown series, which was supposed to be shot on our phones and we really liked the concept. We were provided with the script and director Srijit Roy helped us out over the phone. While shooting we realised we didn’t want to shoot with our phones as it would distort our faces. We decided to call our common friend, Rup Kumar, over and shoot with proper lights and a Canon 7D camera. So every day post-shoot we would have to do the work flow for the next day, chalk out our continuity costumes and so on... also prepare the script and remember our lines. So it was fun. Choosing the location was no problem as it was going to be shot in my house. So every day Devlina had to pick up the cinematographer and come over to mine.
Devlina: I got to learn a lot from him (Gourab)! Those two weeks were fun and professional bondings were created.

What was your takeaway from the experience?

Devlina: Initially after we ended shooting, we were like, we argue so much... we should not work together any more! But of course, once we cooled down, we thought we created some wonderful memories... people loved us together on screen.
Gourab: I am grateful that I got this opportunity to direct on floor (my house though) and do each and everything related to a proper shoot, which helped me to learn and unlearn a lot. It gave me a lot of confidence to direct. I had always been very sceptical or rather lacked confidence when it came to direction but then again I do wish to direct sometime in the future. Now that inhibition is gone and I am quite confident about myself.

Would you like to act in more shows/series/films together?!

Devlina: Of course, we want to work together again.
Gourab: Well, yes I would definitely want to work with Devlina as an actor because I think she’s very talented. This doesn’t come from a biased point of view. The first two days we both were failing to understand and express what were the requirements of the scene or the characters, but from Day 3 she totally got into the skin of the character and I got more than what I expected from her. In fact, a lot of times she surprised me. Having said that, let me also be honest. I would not like to be a part of this lockdown series together as we were constantly having arguments and got angry with each other!

Gourab, how does it feel to be back shooting for Rani Rashmoni? How safe do you feel on the sets?

Gourab: It’s great to be back on the sets as I get to see my favourite people and work on a character that I have not been bored of. Generally doing a telly character I have always gotten bored but playing Mathuramohan Biswas has never been that even after playing this character every day for two consecutive years. I do feel safe on the sets as the technicians have been very understanding and aware. Having said that, I would definitely conclude that there is a lack of education about the virus and its spread among the general public.

What were the new things you got to learn about each other during the lockdown?

Gourab: Devlina is so gifted. Things that she would imagine she was not capable of, she tried and came out a winner. Like cooking for instance. She can be who she wants to be. She has been patient throughout the lockdown. Previously I thought I was the mature one. So there are many more facets that I got exposed to this lockdown that I thought otherwise.
Devlina: I got addicted to watching his kind of series! I saw him for almost eight to nine hours in a day, which was rare before this.

For both of you, what’s been a big change in your life?

Devlina: I have learnt to bake and cook. You won’t believe me if I tell you that I didn’t know how to switch on the gas before this. But now people think I cook fairly well.
Gourab: The biggest change in my life has been the realisation that we as humans are much more capable than we consider ourselves to be. There’s much more in each one of us than we think. We underestimate ourselves. Also we don’t know ourselves, which is the most important thing. Unless we know our own selves, we would never know the other person. I believe we both had that time for self-realisation.

Chemistry quotient

You met each other at a dance drama. What was your first date like?

Gourab: There was never a first date. It was always with my sisters. We go out on dates now.
Devlina: It was not a date date! He had his sister’s bachelor’s party and he said, ‘Okay, so let’s both get together and plan the whole thing, and maybe we can go shopping and have lunch together.’ I was like, ‘Okay’! It was kind of informal.

What’s your fave way to spend time together?

Devlina: We love working out together, cycling together, watching shows together. And these days I love to cook for him, and he loves to eat.

Gourab: We love to do physical activities together. Before it was lifting and high-intensity sports. Post-lockdown it’s cycling. In winters we go out running. After we are done with our sessions, if it’s a holiday we watch web shows. I have always been a series kind of a guy and she was more of a ’90s Bollywood girl. Now I have managed to get her hooked to web shows!

What are the things you don’t agree on?

Devlina: He doesn’t like me sitting on the bed with outside clothes on but I forget that too often. At times he thinks I drive too fast but I don’t ... but he is protective so I understand his concern.

Gourab: Well, in a relationship there cannot be disagreements in major issues. You have to come to an understanding. We fight a lot but no disagreements as such. Basically we both are just very moody.

Do both of you like the same movies, series, music?

Gourab: We both have different taste in movies, shows and music. Like totally different. But thankfully she has started liking my favourite shows and we both continue watching them on days we both are free! Music we do connect because she has been a student of Dakshini and I obviously love Rabindra Sangeet but I have never been a ’90s Bollywood music lover.

What are the things you love about each other?

Devlina: He is honest... very honest. He is a family man. He is caring and does a lot of household stuff.
Gourab: I love that she’s childlike. Her innocence is very attractive. I love her happy vibe.