Since his Bollywood debut in 2019 as Shahid Kapoor’s friend in Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s Kabir Singh, Soham Majumdar’s career has been on an upward swing. The Kolkata boy who turned 31 early this month talked to us about his latest theatrical release Dukaan, his plans to get into film production and the experience of working with Askshay Kumar in an action film.

You turned 31 in the first week of April. How did you spend your special day?

Soham Majumdar: I had a great breakfast, lunch and dinner. In between, I had the premiere of my film Dukaan. It was quite fulfilling. It was one of the best birthdays. We shot Dukaan (directed by Siddharth-Garima) way back in 2021 and to finally see it released, I couldn’t have had a better birthday.

What are some of your fondest birthday memories?

Soham Majumdar: I remember when I was turning five, there was a big party hosted by my family and I was given a Superman costume. Since as a child we used to believe in the cartoons that were there, I thought that Superman could fly. I wore the costume and tried to fly but fell and hurt myself. Birthdays for me have always been special. But for the last few years, I haven’t been able to spend my birthdays in Calcutta with my friends. Otherwise I like to have a party where people don’t remember anything the next day! (Laughs)

Dukaan received positive feedback from the audience. What were your expectations from the film?

Soham Majumdar: I have always believed responses are important. We are living in a time where every day something or the other is coming out. As an audience member, it is very difficult to keep up with everything that’s happening.

We had a screening for real-life surrogates in Gujarat in a place called Anand where around 300 surrogates watched the film and they were only crying. Dukaan is a very realistic film. The research is on point and there’s everything a surrogate needs to know. Plus, there’s no gimmick. A lot of people don’t have their facts right on how they can be a surrogate.

How did Dukaan come your way?

Soham Majumdar: I got a casting call from Abhimanyu Ray, with whom I had worked on a project called Dhamaka, directed by Ram Madhvani. I auditioned for Dukaan during the lockdown. The directors Siddharth and Garima liked the audition. I had also collaborated with them for Kabir Singh as a writer and this was the first time I met them personally.

It was a learning experience for me as Siddharth and Garima were so sure of what they wanted. They were first-time directors but it didn’t feel like they were new.

What drew you to your character Armaan in Dukaan?

Soham Majumdar: He is from the upper class. He could have easily adopted a child but he chose surrogacy because he believes ‘apna toh apna hai’. He tries to be a pillar of support for his wife and it is a very difficult decision to come to the fact that they can’t conceive and they have to go for surrogacy. He is well aware of its repercussions. He is vulnerable but he tackles all that with a lot of panache.

These are very controversial statements but the way my character has been brought up, it is difficult to reason with it. Of course, Soham doesn’t agree with it. I am an actor, so I had to play my character Armaan without any judgements.

You have been doing back-to-back Hindi projects, from Sajni Shinde Ki Viral Video to Pippa and Dhamaka. What do you keep in mind while choosing a role?

Soham Majumdar: Honestly, right now I’m not in a position to keep in mind any factors while choosing a role. I have generally been fortunate enough to be a part of projects with some great actors and directors that have turned out well. I have been fortunate enough right from my first project. I have not yet had the luxury of choosing my projects. I hope a time comes where I can choose projects that I genuinely feel like doing. Not that I have done things that I don’t like but you never know what can fall on your plate next.

Where do you see yourself in the next five-10 years?

Soham Majumdar: I wish I could tell you that. I don’t plan my life. I would like to get into production, everything permitted. I am already getting into creative production as I like being involved in a project right from the beginning. Wearing the producer’s hat is quite natural for me as I feel I’m not equipped enough to be a director. I am working on certain scripts which are at a pitching stage, and in Bengal we can try and do something very soon too.

I enjoy acting the most. If I had the luxury to do that, I would do only that. But right now, it’s a little difficult.

What are your upcoming projects? You recently finished shooting a film with Akshay Kumar.

Soham Majumdar: Shajni Shinde, which is on Netflix, is still getting great reviews. I have also done the Raj & DK web show, Citadel: Honey Bunny (starring Samantha Ruth Prabhu and Varun Dhawan), which should come out by the end of this year. I did a one-shot film with Tathagata Mukherjee, called Gopone Mod-Charan.

I finished shooting Sky Force with Akshay Kumar; it is by Maddock Productions and is slated to come out in Diwali. Akshay Kumar is the real action hero. To do an action film with him related to the Indian air force is something to be proud of. To just see him operate on set is itself a dream come true.

I have grown up watching him. He is just quintessentially the most handsome man I have ever met. His aura, his presence and his silent demeanour on set are what kept us at bay. The whole experience of Sky Force was unique.