Acameo in Sujoy Ghosh’s made-in-Kolkata thriller Kahaani put Abir Chatterjee in the national spotlight a decade ago. Now the actor is all set to make his Hindi web debut with Season 2 of Avrodh. The series, which will stream on SonyLIV from June 24, has Abir playing an army man working undercover. We caught up with Abir for a chat on what made him pick the show and the way forward for him as an actor.
You have been offered Hindi projects in the past. What is it about Season 2 of Avrodh that clinched the deal for you?
The first thing is that Season 1 of Avrodh was a huge, huge show. Of course, there are pros and cons to that. The good thing is that the audience knows about the brand. At the same time, Season 2, because of how well Season 1 did, comes with huge expectations. When I started prepping for the role, courtesy social media, I realised how big the first season of the show was. I look at it as positive pressure. The best thing is that it’s the same team that’s worked on the first season, and they know their job.
You are right when you say that I have got offers in the past from outside the Bangla film industry. But sometimes I didn’t like the part offered and maybe sometimes they didn’t like the manner in which I approached the whole thing. Time was also an issue because I have been working in Bengali films without a break for many years now.
As an actor, I feel it’s always important to ask oneself often that what kind of newness one is bringing into one’s craft and career. Otherwise, there is the danger of becoming static. One can become complacent and that signals the end of the journey. So I keeping asking myself, ‘What next? What next?’ Avrodh 2 came to me when we had slightly recovered from the first phase of the pandemic and the issue of time wasn’t there... I had ample time in hand (smiles).
Also, when I spoke to the makers, I understood that they were very clear about what they wanted. The communication was very smooth, even though all of it happened over Zoom calls. I liked their approach. They were crystal clear about the character they wanted me to play and why they had chosen me for the part.
Though this is my debut on the national web series front, I am not a debutant... I have a body of work built over many years. So, I was clear that if I had to do something on this scale, it needed to excite me, and at the same time, I needed to do justice to the character. Throughout the shoot, I was made to feel very comfortable. I never felt I was outside my home, outside my comfort zone.
Had you watched Season 1 when it came out?
I knew about it, but hadn’t watched it then. I watched it later, but just to get a hang of it. I didn’t want to carry any preconceived ideas into Season 2. That was important because
Season 2 has a completely different story from the first season. This is not a continuation and is based on chapter nine of the book India’s Most Fearless (by Rahul Singh and Shiv Aroor)... Season 1 was based on the first chapter of the same book.
So going into this shoot, I wanted a clean slate, but at the same time, I wanted to have an idea of how Season 1 was placed, how they shot it....
You play a military man who is undercover as an income tax professional. The part seems to have many layers. How much did playing this man push you as an actor, both physically and emotionally?
This was one more important reason to say ‘yes’ to this project. My character Pradip Bhattacharya is not unidimensional. He has a lot of different shades. He is a captain in the Indian army and so physically, he had to be very agile, and also know how to use ammunition. He is a properly trained military guy who needed to know hand-to-hand combat. He always has to be prepared to go on any mission, no questions asked.
At the same time, he has his income tax thing, where he has to use his brains. He is very good at number-crunching and he can decipher anything from the minutest of details. This man is about both brain and brawn. At the same time, he has a soft side... he’s a doting father and a very loving and caring husband. I chose the role knowing that there were different shades I could bring in.
Playing him meant balancing a lot of things. He’s not headstrong, he’s a cool guy, but at the same time, he’s very passionate about what he does. He’s totally dedicated to his motherland. This is the balance that I needed to explore and also attempt to break stereotypes.
You burst into the national scene a decade ago with Kahaani. How much does the democratisation of content and players in the Indian creative space make it more conducive for you to work in projects in Mumbai now?
The OTT space is very, very exciting. There is no language barrier. Sitting inKolkata, I can watch a Malayalam film now, someone sitting in Mumbai can watch a film from Brazil. The world has truly become one village. We get to see different emotions, different cultures, languages, people... there is an interesting platter that is now available to the audience.
In Avrodh 2, I play a Bengali who is stationed in Mumbai and travels for work to different parts of the country. We have characters from different parts of the country who are played by actors hailing from all parts of India. Even the technicians are from different places. The best thing about OTT is that you can tell any story you want and it’s the audience, and not the market forces, who decide to accept or reject it.
My Hindi is not very good, though I understand the language, of course. I told the makers of Avrodh 2 the same, but since I play a Bengali guy, they wanted my accent to remain. That makes things very real and authentic.
You are a busy actor in Bengali films. Will working on the national scene become a priority in phase 2 of your career?
I honestly don’t have a blueprint in mind, and I have no qualms accepting that. I am an instinctive actor, I react to situations. And I have realised that even in life, you need to be open to all opportunities that come to you. That’s my style of working... be prepared, but don’t expect anything. If a project comes to you and it ticks the right boxes, then go for it. There have been instances when I have planned a lot of things, but they didn’t work out for me. So now I have decided to be more instinctive with the work that comes my way.
I have a lot of commitments in the Bangla film industry. This is home, this is family. This is my priority, but at the same time, I will always look to reach out to a wider audience. OTT gives us that opportunity.
A lot of your colleagues from the Bengali film industry have been doing some stellar work in Mumbai. Is there anyone among them whose career path you really admire?
I am really very proud of all of them. Now that I have worked outside my industry, I can really understand the challenges everyone has faced. Being out of home and away from family, working with people you don’t know well.... Hence, one needs to be very flexible. When I work outside, I represent everyone from my industry. There is a responsibility. Everyone knows I have been doing this job for 13-14 years, and hence a certain level of professionalism and preparation is expected from me.
So when I work outside and I hear about my colleagues from the industry here being talked about positively, it makes me very proud. And the good thing is that if I need any suggestion, I can always call them. They are just a phone call away. Yes, there is competition — especially when I see Jisshu (Sengupta) and Param (Parambrata Chattopadhyay) doing a good project and being praised — but I always look at it as healthy competition. I just tell myself, ‘Boss, tomakeo bhalo korte hobe... you have to work harder’.