He had dropped a hint two years ago. The big idea was in the offing, and superstar Jeet had felt that it was time to bring something new to the people, something that connects with a wider audience. “We are getting to know more and more about what kind of content connects deeper and has a greater reach,” Jeet had told us then. In 2022, he told The Telegraph that he was working towards a pan-India film. “The market has opened. There is an opportunity right in front of you. For many years the South industry has been making an impact with their work, and dedication... they have taken cinema to a different level. And I bow to some of the makers... for the way they have transformed the regional industry into a pan-India term. The gates have opened... and it is good for us also. We also have an opportunity to get a pan-India release,” Jeet had said then. He kept his promise. Jeet’s pan-India release, Chengiz — in Bengali and Hindi — hit the screens on April 21. A Telegraph chat with Jeet...

How did this film take off? Director Rajesh Ganguly came to you with this idea...

Yes, initially it had a broader structure. I liked the idea but at that time he was trying to crack it as a web series. He was in talks with OTT platforms. I told him, ‘Why don’t you convert it into a film? You have the content.’ He then turned it into a film keeping the milieu, the characters, and the spread the same. He then came up with the structure. We had certain observations about it.

We then called up (director-producer) Neeraj Pandey... for a long time, Neeraj had wanted to do something with Raja (Rajesh Ganguly). Knowing that we had worked together in the past and we get along really well and have a good bonding (Jeet, Neeraj Pandey and Rajesh Ganguly had collaborated on Royal Bengal Tiger), we called Neeraj. He then arrived in Calcutta and we had a narration. He jotted down all the points, along with our and his observations. Then he called Raja to Bombay for four-five days. They did the structuring and then everything fell into place.

How did your journey begin as Chengiz?

After spending so many days with the script, you get a hold of the character. You know the character really well. Also, I have a reputation in Bengal as an action hero.

And interestingly, Chengiz is a combination of a larger-than-life scale with realistic aesthetics...

It’ll keep people guessing about the plot points, storyline and climax. We spent so much time on the script. Raja has been living Chengiz for so many years, Chengiz is a big part of his life; Chengiz is a part of our lives now. He has been patient about everything. I loved the script... the film focuses on the underbelly of the city, from the mid-1970s to mid-1990s... it is about the world of gangsters and mafia. The story of the film is primarily set in the 1990s.

Chengiz is an outsider who takes over the city gradually. Could you connect with that aspect of Chengiz in any way?

It is definitely the story of the nobody becoming someone. It is the journey of the underdog. That connects with so many people who started from scratch. Chengiz is someone who has no boundaries and no limits. Worldwide people are open to enjoying new ideas and new content, and we all know how films like Bahubali have resonated with the audience. There is the scale of a film, and then there is the power of the story that will take you into a different world. You’ll immerse yourself in the world of Chengiz.

How was the shooting experience?

It was really nice since we enjoy the process of making the cinema. For the film, we have fought and loved also. We had a very skilful action team around. Stunt Silva got into the script completely. There are quite a few layers in the action sequences. There are three-four parallel tracks moving simultaneously. So he knew where he was going to cut the track and get into another track and then come back. He had everything in his mind. He is a wonderful warm person.

Do you feel Chengiz was destined to be a pan-India release?

Yes, maybe time wanted it this way. It was a bigger responsibility and we took our time working on Chengiz. For a long time, we were thinking of reaching out to an audience outside Bengal. Thankfully it has happened with Chengiz. We felt that Chengiz has a wider appeal; a national appeal and beyond. We reached out to Anil Thadani and his distribution setup is really strong. In the past, we all know that he has released massive films. When we first spoke to him, the film was under production. We showed him the film after completing it. He liked the film and then came on board.

Will your next release be a pan-India one?

I’ll be able to answer all this after the release of Chengiz. I have not explored this genre before, I have not seen anyone else work on it... on the underworld scenario of Bengal in the 1990s. It has not been tried in the past before. The storyline has nicely been woven by Neeraj and Rajesh. It is an entertaining film and we hope that people really like it.