Festive times have generally celebrated the victory of good over evil. Waking up awash with light, vanquishing the darkness. The eternal chessboard called life is marked by the classic dichotomy of black and white. While yin and yang may define life itself, it’s in the in-between chequered details that life actually plays out, in all its glorious greys. While Rumi’s ‘field’ that is ‘out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing” seems like a utopia, the grey and perhaps ‘fifty shades’ of it is very much a reality. A thought that has stayed with actor Shaheb Bhattacherjee for a while now. “The most horrible person can be good given the best circumstances and someone who is perceived to be of good temperament can come across badly behaved if he or she is in an unfulfilled state of mind. There is no absolute good or bad. I believe human beings are made of energy. We are no one to judge,” Shaheb tells t2. A theme that he has envisioned in this special shoot and has shared with t2 exclusively.
“This is inspired by the ancient Mesopotamian mythology of Gilgamesh. He was a demigod, a king, a warrior, strong and good-looking, but there are stories of his oppression too. The moment we think of God, we have this idea of piety, but Gilgamesh was a dreaded entity too,” says Shaheb
He has looked at mythology from across the world for inspiration. “There have been characters who have been misinterpreted or have been seen in a certain perspective. The whole idea of the shoot was to explore the unexplored,” says Shaheb.
“Demons in general have been largely depicted as green-skinned beings, with horns and armed with a trident, but even Gods have tridents. And, often circumstances have dictated their course of action, popularly perceived as evil. This look is conceived as someone who looks royal and elegant, but revenge has overpowered him,” says Shaheb
Has he always seen the world in hues of grey or is it more of a realisation now, after so many years into his acting career? “When you are younger, it is mostly black and white because you have less knowledge and you are less aware of what is happening around you. In our sort of industry especially, why people do what they do is extremely questionable to someone who is an outsider. But you have to understand that not everyone’s life is the same and everyone is going through a battle. Instagram is what exactly life isn’t. Even today, the hard work you put in makes you who you are. And, it will always be so,” he says.
“Tuberose is synonymous with funeral. We mourn death but in several cultures, death is celebrated as a new beginning. This look is inspired by that,” says Shaheb
Shaheb’s father, the legendary footballer Subrata Bhattacharya and brother-in-law Sunil Chhetri, whom many consider the backbone of India’s quest for resurgence in football, have been shining examples of passion. “These are two legends that I have seen in my lifetime. They have always believed in the good in themselves,” says Shaheb. A mantra that has helped him stay afloat too.
What is his biggest fallacy? “Not believing in myself at one point of time and the biggest strength has been to overcome that, telling myself that I can do this and better. Once you start believing in it, you will achieve it. All you have to do is ask the universe for it and it will manifest. I believe in that,” he smiles.
Shaheb decodes his thought process behind the looks.
“This look is inspired by the North American folklore of Kuekuatsheu. He was in love with the moon and came down from the spirit world to collect wild flowers for her. He didn’t know once he left the spirit world, he couldn’t go back. So, he was stuck forever. This was mentioned in X-Men Origins: Wolverine. I feel just like Kuekuatsheu came down from the spirits world unknowingly, ego is a place we unknowingly go to. It’s the biggest demon and it is within us,” says Shaheb.
Makeup: Shaswata Debnath
Hair: Avantika Das
Creative directors: Sur O Sree and Rohan Adhikary
Designer: Walter Peter
Location: The Denmark Tavern