Sanjay Mishra doesn’t arrive on a film set but seeps into it, like how sunlight does through the dusty windows of an old Calcutta house. He was in the city, shooting for Phera, which marks his debut in Bengali cinema. Sanjay, perfectly content among the crumbling balconies of the city, sat down with Indulge for a chat. The film, directed by Pritha Chakraborty, is about the push-and-pull between a father and son. Sanjay Mishra calls his Phera character Pannalal “a generation,” and you believe him. He speaks of the city like a companion, of old buildings like ex-lovers he refuses to forget.
In person, he is equal parts tender and wicked. Sanjay laughs from his belly, talks about rare sitar vinyls and luchi-chholar daal with equal affection. The more he speaks, the more Kolkata peeks out of him—leisurely, unhurried, refusing to be modern for the sake of it. “Main zinda rehna chahta hoon yaar (I want to stay alive, man),” he says, and it lands like a life thesis. Excerpts:
Tell us about Pannalal.
Pannalal is a generation. These old buildings of Kolkata, I love them a lot. I wouldn’t want to be separated from these buildings. Pannalal represents a different generation. He separates a different world from the metro world. He sees his life in a different light. Somebody will come, something good will happen. He is very dependent on that. He likes things like football. He has a lot of love for them. Pannalal will be relatable for many people. He is the man you have in your life, or you maybe have seen.
Do you relate to Pannalal?
Absolutely! I am half Pannalal. All these things that he likes, the old buildings, the charm of Kolkata, and the culture of the city are very dear to me. I keep staring around me, taking everything in. I keep coming to Kolkata, but I think this is the longest I have stayed—for the shoot. But I keep coming here. Most of my vinyl records are from here. You get old and rare vinyls from the surrounding areas of Dharmatala. I love good music, so it’s a must for me to get those records. Now I am listening to Jaya Biswas on loop. She is a great sitar player.
How did you like working with Pritha?
Very nice. There was a lot of give and take between the actor and the director. She responded to me, and I responded to her and a great chemistry came out. When we both trusted each other, a lot of good things happened. There is a lot to be grateful about. She is an emotional director. I could see it in her eyes. On my last day of shooting for the film, I can see something motherly behind her eyes. When I go back to Delhi or Mumbai from home, that’s how my mother looks at me. We have developed a great bond. Something like, ‘Kal tu chala jayega toh main kya karunga? (What will I do if you leave tomorrow?).'
Ritwick Chakraborty is a beloved actor in Kolkata….
He is not an actor, he is a reactor. I love actors like this, who react and not just act. I am also like that, I think that is also why I like him. (laughs)
How is the mood like on set?
Sohini (Sarkar), Ritwick, Subrata (Dutta)and the rest are such good people. I was scared that I’d be loud in terms of acting. I was scared of being ostentatious. The cameraman Subhankar (Bhar) is great. Due to financial aspects, it’s often better if the cameraman is fast. And Subhankar was superfast.
Did you expect Vadh and Vadh 2 would get so much love?
I think this happened because of the content. Content is key these days. Even in shorter videos like reels, people want good content. Obviously directors and actors also matter, but content has to be strong. There’s good chemistry between Neena Gupta and me in the movie.
Tell us your experience working on Ghashiram Kotwal .
I have acted a lot in my life and I havedone various types of roles. From comic, to serious, to romantic. But Ghashiram is meant for me. As an actor, I had done theatre before without thinking a lot, but Ghashiram is a lot for me. Every actor should do theatre once in a while, or do a film in a different language.
You’re in Kolkata at the onset of winter. Have you tried the winter delicacies?
I love luchi, chholar daal, and begun bhaja. I have been eating these for lunch. I also enjoyed basanti pulao.