Actor Yash Dasgupta is all set for his Bollywood debut with Yaariyan 2, where he’ll be seen playing the character of Abhay Singh Katyal, husband to actress Divya Khosla Kumar’s Laadli Chibber. We speak to Yash about his character, how much he enjoyed playing it, whether he has plans to shift to Mumbai and more. Excerpts:
Finally your big Bolly debut. How excited are you?
I’m pretty excited. My first Bengali debut was also during Durga Puja, and what a lovely coincidence that my Hindi film too is releasing amidst the Puja. Needless to say how special the festive time is for Bengalis. So, I am waiting for the film’s release and the audience’s reactions.
What is Abhay Singh Katyal like?
Abhay is a mysterious character and I can’t reveal a lot. But yes, there’s a certain surprise element that is hidden in the film. His character is just like a fine wine. He’s one of those characters who is very close to my heart. The film is a mature, post-marriage love story between Abhay and Laadli, but how that unfolds is to watch out for.
We heard you have a “piping hot” onscreen chemistry. Tell us about that.
Yaariyan 2 has everything. Each one of us has a different taste palate. Newly-married couples in mature relationships would love watching Abhay and Laadli, young college-goers, looking for that adrenaline rush in relationships will enjoy Shikhar’s (Meezan Jafri) love story and so on. There are different chemistries for different audiences. I remember, when we were shooting, the whole unit used to sit in front of the monitor to watch how it was all panning out.
Did you relate to Abhay somewhere?
As an actor, I need to find some similarities with the character I am playing and then comes the preparation part. So, yes there was relatability to the character but playing it was a different ball game altogether. Our directors are tough taskmasters who are very finicky about what they want -- be it lights, the shot, the costume or hair. They would take 25-30 takes unless they got their perfect shots.
Upcoming films in Bengali? Any plans to shift to Mumbai?
I started my own production house YD Films recently and we are working on its first film Mentaal starring me in the lead. A few more days of filming are pending, which we will complete post-Puja. I am not shifting anywhere. I have everything in Kolkata. So, if I have more opportunities, I will go, work and come back to my City of Joy.