On March 15, 2020, Jisshu Sengupta cuts a birthday cake and the Happy Birthday song is sung at the Coffee House on College Street as Team Abhijaan shoots key scenes throughout the day. Two years later, Abhijaan, a biopic on Soumitra Chatterjee’s life, is all set to release in theatres on April 14. Directed by Parambrata Chattopadhyay, Abhijaan (produced by Ratan Shree Nirman in association with Roadshow Films) has Jisshu playing the role of Soumitra. A candid chat with Jisshu.
Were you supposed to play Soumitra Chatterjee from the beginning?
At that time I was shooting for a bunch of films. So, initially I was supposed to play a different character in Abhijaan. And then in January 2020 I got a call from Soumitra Chatterjee and we spoke about the film, and he was happy to know that I was doing the film. We didn’t speak about my character. Then I got a call from Param, and he told me that Soumitra jethu wants me to play him. Then it all started to sink in... that Soumitra Chatterjee wants me to play him.
Param gave me two-three days to figure out my dates and then we started the shoot finally.
How did you prepare?
I wanted to capture the essence of the man and that’s what I did. And I tried to follow his style of walking... he had a lovely, big-hearted smile... so that was also there. He is a different breed of an actor. The script is about the man, Soumitra Chatterjee. I tried to capture his jibondorshon, what was important to him. He is an actor who became a star. And somehow that is true for me as well. I am an actor who became a hero. That’s our common thing.
Did you discuss the script with Soumitra Chatterjee before the shoot?
See, the advantage for me was that I had worked with him in various films. So I knew him well. We were quite close and shared a bond. During the shoot of Posto, we would talk extensively on cricket between shots. He would regale with his anecdotes. We had scenes with him playing cricket. I bowled and he batted. Before that scene, we had played cricket for an hour. Soumitra jethu knew that I used to play cricket. He was a huge cricket fan. We would discuss the Indian cricket team, the new guys… he shared stories of watching (Gary) Sobers play, of meeting Pataudi at a dinner.
Jethu was an institution. Working with him helped me as an actor. I got a lot of encouragement from him.
Jisshu plays Soumitra Chatterjee in 'Abhijaan', which releases in theatres on April 14
Did you meet him on the sets of Abhijaan?
For one day. And he was like, “Why are you running away from me?” I told him that I was feeling a bit shy... since I was playing him after all. “I know that you will do really well,” he had said.
But the most fascinating thing is that you played Uttam Kumar in Mahalaya and then you play Soumitra Chatterjee in Abhijaan. You have played both the Bengali screen legends. What do you think about that?
I am blessed. Soumitra jethu was a more cerebral actor. Uttam Kumar was a romantic hero whereas I see Soumitra jethu in all kinds of characters. And interestingly, one had played Feluda and the other played Byomkesh. Jethu played the role of a father in Apur Sansar. He had done it all. Of course, Satyajit Ray was there by his side. I won’t compare, but when I started working with Rituparno Ghosh, people took me seriously as an actor. Before that I had worked in many commercial films. I had worked with Goutam Ghose and Shyam Benegal. After that Srijit (Mukherji) gave me a lot of roles, he experimented with me... and he had that faith in me that I would be able to pull it off.
Did you ever get conscious while shooting?
When shooting for Abhijaan, jethu was always there at the back of my mind. I would tell myself that I am playing Soumitra Chatterjee, and I had to be responsible. Param and I would always discuss various aspects.
How was it like being directed by Param?
Param put his trust in me... and he gave me that space. He is a really good director. He is very chilled out, and he’s to the point. He knows exactly what he wants. He really encourages his actors; he listens to the actors. He looks at a scene from different point of views. We also had great fun recreating some of the iconic Soumitra Chatterjee scenes.
Have you watched the film yet?
I don’t watch my films. I don’t know why, I cannot explain the feeling. At times I watch a few scenes maybe, at the premiere show. The shooting process is extensive. I see the visuals during dubbing. That’s it. I have seen two of my films in theatres. I watched Uma since Sara (daughter) acted in it. And I saw my first Byomkesh.
Will you turn to directing films next? You have directed Shonge Srijit for television.
Yes, I will.... but not right now. I want to explore more as an actor. I want to do more Telugu, Tamil and Malayalam films.
Have you thought of a story yet for the film that you would direct?
I have two stories in mind, but by the time I start I don’t know whether I would use them. I’ll evolve... so maybe I’ll look for something else.
What was your takeaway from the Abhijaan experience?
I got to discover various sides of Soumitra jethu. I understood where he came from, his thought process, why he did what he did... because of the experiences that he went through. I knew I had to do justice to it. Whenever I would put on the clothes, get the hair in place, I would be transformed.
Picture: B. Halder