July 15 is a special day for Vikram Chatterjee. A film of his is releasing in the theatres after five years. “It feels great, I am excited, and a little nervous. I belong to a generation where big-screen releases and going to the theatres was a big thing. It was a celebration for all of us. We used to go together with family members and friends... and for me, even today a big-screen release is an important event. Kuler Achaar happens to be very special because it is a big-screen release after five years,” smiles Vikram. The Telegraph chat.
Why this huge gap?
It is unfortunate that I did not have a theatrical release in the last five years. Life has taken its own twists and turns. There have been several events... I genuinely feel the kind of projects that I have been a part of over the last five years have helped me in certain ways. Phagun Bou was very important for me. It came to me at a juncture when I needed to do great work again. The fact that the project was hugely successful and the audience gave me so much of love for it all over again helped me regain a lot of confidence, helped me to take the next step forward.
Then I hopped on to Tansener Tanpura... my gut feeling worked and the show did wonders. I got a lot of praise for it, it has been widely appreciated. It is one of the best shows we have seen in the Bengali OTT space for sure. After that the pandemic happened and we all were stuck. Dance Bangla Dance was hugely successful. All of that put together, yes a big screen release took time... but I was focused on doing projects that would help me grow... projects that I genuinely believed in. I wanted to take up projects that I could carry on my shoulders. The success, the failure could be mine. I had to wait for such a project to come to me, a project that I was convinced about. It has happened with Kuler Achaar. I am excited to see how it does.
How has the working environment in films changed in the last five years?
The shooting schedule has become much tighter. Over the last seven years the number of days has definitely shrunk. Previously we would complete a film in 30 days. Nowadays a lot of films have to be completed in 15 days. Some films do get a bigger schedule no doubt. As an actor I would like to go to the floors extremely prepared about what I would like to do and what is expected out of me.
In the last five years the film landscape has changed. Action adventures and escapist entertainment fare are ruling the box office. Only thrillers and family dramas seem to be working in Bengal. Do you feel you are here in films at the right time?
I don’t think there is a right or wrong time for anyone to be in the films. It is our journey as an actor. Whenever we get offered great films and a lot of love from the audience is the right time. Regarding the current scenario, we see films being mounted very big... adventure films, big-screen experiences. With Bengali films we see Byomkesh and Sonada doing very well and family dramas like Bela Shuru.
Any concerns?
I would like to be a part of all kinds of films. I don’t want to be restricted to doing only family dramas or thrillers. I am a very big believer in big-screen experiences. I understand that we have budget constraints but I think we have to keep on creating content from varied genres. There have been Bengali films that have been mounted extremely well, be it Golondaaj, films from Kakababu franchise or Amazon Obhijaan. I would like to see more films being mounted in the same way, probably some more adventure films. I would love to do a superhero film if it comes my way. We are going through constant changes and I am very hopeful.
Do you set goals for yourself as an actor?
Yes, as an actor and individual, I set goals for myself. They are not very materialistic... they are not very timeline-driven either. My primary aim is to ensure that I keep growing as an actor and that I can reach out to a bigger audience. I would like to strike a balance.
You have quite a few releases lined up. Does it put pressure on you to deliver at the box office?
It does... the form of art that we have chosen also involves a lot of money to give shape to it. It is an expensive form of art and if people are investing money into the film, it is very important for them to recover the cost and make profit. It is very important for the films to do well. It is not exactly pressure, but it is extremely important that our films do well at the box office, and our producers be keen on investing in different kinds of films.
Going forward, would you like to do more Bengali films or more web shows? And in which genre?
I am keen on doing both. I would want the web shows to be extremely exciting like Tansener Tanpura. I really want to explore different kinds of films. I am keen on doing an action film. I have just wrapped up the shoot of a film, which is a love story. I have been lucky to receive different kinds of films in the last one year or so.
Would you like to project yourself as a certain kind of hero/leading man in films?
No, I don’t think so. I would like to project myself as someone who is bankable, someone who can carry his films and do justice to characters.
To negotiate your way through the film industry, do you look up to anyone or seek guidance from someone?
Our industry is a very challenging place. It has uncertainties of its own. I have spent around 12-odd years in the industry now. There are certain people whose guidance I seek and look up to in this industry. Leenadi (Ganguly) is the first name. She has been my go-to person since 2015 onwards. She has been very kind to me. Sujoy Dutta Roy, an editor, who has been my go-to person since 2010. Also, Atanuda (Ghosh) has been very kind. He has been very sweet and supportive. I’ve had long conversations with Shrikantda (Shrikant Mohta) and Monida (Mahendra Soni) with regards to what I should look forward to in my career. I’ve only done one film with Shyam Sundar Dey and I’ve had long conversations with him. Jeetda and I have had brilliant conversations about his journey, about how we can think about our journey. This man has been super-duper kind in sharing his journey with us and guiding us when we get stuck. I’ll always be grateful to Firdausul Hasan and Prabal Halder.
Tell us about your character in Kuler Achaar?
Pritam is that nice guy we rarely see in today’s world. He loves his wife to bits. He loves his mother, respects his father. And he tries his best to be the anchor in the family. He tries his best to balance things out, to sort things out. It is not an easy task and he tries very hard. Pritam is a sweetheart, he is probably the guy a lot of girls out there would love to get married to. This is a family film, and about how one incident changes the dynamics between every individual in this family.
What’s the best part about the script?
It is a very sensitive subject and the treatment has been entertaining. We will make people laugh a lot and maybe cry a little. There are some emotional moments. It has good songs and our pairing has been widely appreciated. It feels absolutely great.
What was it like working with Madhumita?
We have known each other for a while. I have always felt that we make a good pair on screen. And we have been receiving a lot of positive feedback from the audience. She is as passionate about her work as I am. She was very focused on wanting to play the character well, on how things can be improved further, what can be done to enhance a scene. That’s where we clicked I feel. We complemented each other. It was a lot of fun working with her.