Ritwick Chakraborty feels he has been doing a lot of villain characters lately, but overall he’s in a good space thanks to the streaming platforms. The powerhouse actor chatted with us about playing a cynical screenwriter in Haranath Chakraborty’s Tarokar Mrityu (co-starring Ranjit Mallick, Parno Mittra and Soham Majumdar), which is currently streaming on Addatimes, and how OTT projects allow him to experiment.

Why did you decide to do Tarokar Mrityu?

Ritwick Chakraborty: The fact that I would get to work with (director) Haranath-da and Ranjit Mallick, for the first time. Working especially with Ranjit Mallick has been a great experience as it was on my wishlist for a long time. The script was a mix of thriller and horror, with me playing a famous screenplay writer who writes mostly thrillers.

How was it working with Haranath Chakraborty?

Ritwick Chakraborty: He is a very caring and sweet person. He has given so many hits in his career but he is still down to earth. He observes everything very silently on the set. Personally, I feel this film is very different from what Haranath Chakraborty usually makes.

How was it to reunite with Parno Mittra?

Ritwick Chakraborty: Parno and I have been paired up in every possible way, be it siblings, couples or partners. In this film, Parno plays my wife and our characters don’t share a good equation. She is a dear friend and a very powerful actor.

You are ruling the Bengali streaming space with back-to-back hits like Abar Proloy, Gora 2, Shabash Feluda and most recently Mr. Kolketa. How do you see OTT as a medium for actors?

Ritwick Chakraborty: Web series have opened up a new avenue for actors and OTT is very much a character-driven medium. The characters are more layered. The stories are told in a big way. Actors are given more priority here and they are getting greater space to showcase their talent. It is the future; there is no doubt about it.

How do you choose your scripts?

Ritwick Chakraborty: The criteria of choosing scripts haven’t changed. My first priorities are my character and the director. There has been a lot of good work coming my way because of OTT. But I feel I have been doing a lot of villain characters lately and I am seriously thinking about that! (Laughs)

Your character Sambhu Baba in Abar Proloy has received a lot of praise from the audience…

Ritwick Chakraborty: Yes. My character has a lot of shades and layers. The backstory of my character’s childhood was very significant in Abar Prolo. Pushan (Dasgupta) played the role in the childhood part. Somewhere we had to come to a point where the audience would understand that both of us are somewhere the same. Pushan is a very good actor. He was the one to tell me that we should have something in common in terms of behaviour. The one common trait we discussed is to scratch our heads.

We spoke in different diction. The clan that I run in the series says ‘Shanti shanti’. This was decided at the last moment. Sambu Baba is very colourful. He is a character who everybody will stare at when he makes an appearance. I got everything from the script. The other characteristics of my character were implemented by me.

How has it been working with Raj Chakraborty?

Ritwick Chakraborty: I have done four projects with Raj — Le Chakka, Parineeta, Dharmajuddha and Abar Proloy. My character in Parineeta is still appreciated a lot. People think my character, Babai-da, is a lovable guy but he was not actually nice to his girlfriend. Raj has always given me new characters, which have left a mark on viewers. In Abar Proloy, I played a pervert and dangerous man. My character in Dharmajuddha too was challenging. I’m sure Raj will always think something different for me.