Memories came rushing back when Parambrata Chattopadhyay was recently in Jaisalmer to shoot for Sayantan Ghosal’s Sonar Kellay Jawker Dhan, where he plays Bimal, a professor and an adventure enthusiast. After his web debut with the horror series Parnashavarir Shaap, Parambrata recently wrapped up the shoot of his next directorial, Ei Raat Tomar Amar, starring Aparna Sen and Anjan Dutt. We caught up with the actor-director about his Jaisalmer trip, his thoughts on Satyajit Ray’s Sonar Kella and his experience of working with his co-star Koel Mallick.

This was the second time you were shooting in Jaisalmer. Any memories of your first trip there?

Parambrata Chattopadhyay: The first time I went to Jaisalmer was in 2006 for a television series — the first ever Bengali television serial to be shot in Rajasthan and Jaisalmer. It was called Chorabali, directed by Kaushik Ganguly.

The second time I went there was for a trip in 2011. You could get a very clear view of the fort even in 2011 but that’s completely shrouded now. It is obstructed by all these new constructions coming up. The place has become way more populated than the first time I was here. But it has its charm, of course. And as a Bengali who has grown up with Satyajit Ray and Feluda, it runs a shiver down your spine for various reasons.

I do think that Sonar Kella is the best sleuth thriller ever made in India. It’s a very, very composite and consummate travel adventure film with incredible and impeccable storytelling. It’s also such a wonderfully made film. So yeah, that has a different kind of emotional attachment. You know you still feel like going and visiting Mukul’s house. It is a very different Jaisalmer now. It is a very different India now. But the nostalgia is still very much alive in Bengalis in general and me in particular.

How challenging was it to shoot in Jaisalmer?

Parambrata Chattopadhyay: Jaisalmer is a popular tourist destination, so there are too many people. Just a sea of humanity all around you whenever you are shooting, especially if you're trying to shoot in a public place.

Sonar Kellay Jawker Dhan is not the easiest film to shoot in a location like Jaisalmer. If this was a Rs 50-crore film, then they would probably just cordon off the whole fort or at least cordon off a certain area of the fort and hire a thousand junior actors to make up for all the passing people around. But that’s not the kind of bandwidth we operate in in Bangla films. So we have to sort of shoot in a more guerrilla way. It is exciting too. That’s where all our respective experiences come in very handy.

How did you react when Sayantan Ghosal approached you to play Bimal in Jawker Dhan?

Parambrata Chattopadhyay: I thought it was a great opportunity to sort of revamp one of the quirkiest franchises in Bangla. As opposed to Feluda or Byomkesh Bakshi, Bimal and Kumar are very outlandish and outrageous in their adventures. I remember when I used to read Bimal and Kumar as a teenager. It was not something that kids of my age would be very interested in because Bimal and Kumar belonged to one generation before me.

My father was interested in it; he introduced me to Hemandra Kumar Ray and his characters Bimal and Kumar. Ever since I started reading up, I figured that the kind of things they do, the way they talk is almost impossible. That’s why I am calling them outlandish. But I like this outlandish quality. I think the very first time that Sayantan (Ghoshal) said he wanted to revamp Bimal and Kumar, I found it to be quite an exciting idea.

From the second edition onwards, the stories took a different turn altogether because Hemandra Kumar Ray only had two stories. And the second edition onwards, we did not follow our Jawker Dhan film story. We went in a different direction and made Sagardwipey Jawker Dhan a completely different story. Sonar Kellay Jawker Dhan is a new original story and just keeps the two characters consistent. From the second edition onwards, we introduced an additional female character, Ruby (played by Koel Mallick), and we have retained that as well. So yes, I think it’s an original story with characters who are widely relatable people.

Koel and you go back a long way as co-actors and also as actor and director…

Parambrata Chattopadhyay: Koel is an exceptionally intelligent human being. There are a lot of fun things with Koel. I think on-screen Koel and off-screen Koel are very different. I enjoy that a lot. I hope that Koel does not change. I think Koel and I get along very well. We have deep conversations. We have a very nice friendship that started during Hemlock Society, then we did Highway, Sagardwipey Jawker Dhan , and Bonny when I directed her.

What do you do when you get time off during outdoor shoots?

Parambrata Chattopadhyay: In Jaisalmer in between shoots when I got time I would go for a 45-minute walk daily to stay fit. It’s only when I am shooting my own film that I stress eat and I don’t get the time to work out. I was shooting for my film, Ai Raat Tomar Amar, until the day before I flew out for Jaisalmer, and I didn’t have the time to work out properly. I ate whatever came my way. It so happens that every time I finish a film of my own, there is a greater urge to go back to my fitness schedule. That’s why I’ve just jumped back into it.