Prosenjit Chatterjee is back with another Kakababu film, and this time, the adventures roll out around the beautiful and historical sites of Hampi, Karnataka. Raja Roy Chowdhury, who is popularly known as Kakababu, is a fictional character created by Bengali author Sunil Gangopadhyay. Under the direction of Srijit Mukherji, the character was first adapted for modern audiences on screen in 2013. After Srijit Mukherji’s Mishawr Rohoshyo, Yeti Obhijaan, and Kakababur Protyaborton, Chandrasish Ray takes over as director of the franchise with Vijaynagar’er Hirey, where Prosenjit reunites with Aryann Bhowmik as Shontu. We speak with the actor about his experience of working in the film.
How have you seen Kakababu evolve in the past 13 years?
Kakababu has fixed characteristics and a personality that we cannot improvise on. Srijit and I have really worked hard to create that character. Also, his actual age is never mentioned in the series, so I’d say he’s someone who defies age. That is very close to my heart because I don’t age either (laughs). To remain Kakababu for 13 years is a big challenge. Shontu has grown up a bit. Initially, Kakababu was tense about Shontu’s doings but now has confidence in him. In Vijaynagar’er Hirey, we have worked on the relationships between the characters. As the adventure progresses, their emotional layers also peel away. The film is not just an adventurous tale but an emotionally stirring narrative as well.
This is the first time you are working with Chandrasish on a Kakababu film. Tell us about that.
Srijit was great after Autograph and Baishey Srabon, his ideas were fresh that lent a different shade to the characters. His films also had grandeur. He wanted a young and good director who had refined sensibilities both as a director and technician to handle the franchise after him. Chandrasish, has done it well. He introduced a different take to the film, and consciously so.
Tell us about some behind-the-scenes adventures.
The actual thrill was happening behind the scenes, as always. For every sequence and scene, we have gone through a huge pressure. For Kakababu and Shontu, every film probably made us think, this is the last film of our lives. As actors, we have found ourselves in situations where we don’t know whether we will be able to go back home or not. In Egypt, there was a sandstorm, in Switzerland, there was a glacier, and in this movie, we faced several restrictions because the location is under the Archaeological Survey of India. For every shot, we had to take permission from several departments.
You share the screen with Chiranjeet Chakraborty after more than a decade. Did it bring back memories of past days?
We are sharing screen after 12-13 years. When we thought of getting the character on board, I told the only man who can do this is Deepak da (Chiranjeet). It has to be believable. Someone who had guided Kakababu should also have that image. We had a lovely time shooting together.
Kakababu connects with the Gen Z. What about them do you like the most and what do you not find any logic in?
One thing that I respect about Gen Z is their openness. We went to a school and all the students came and touched my feet. I never expected that. You can’t ask them to do this. My son is also a Gen Z. For us, it was like ‘Ma boleche’ (mother has told), but they do it from their heart. In our times, we used to address someone older formally. But this generation doesn’t, since they find oneness and connection in informal greetings. This is something I really love. I hate when they have food at 2 am, or when they are always on their phones.
Vijaynagar’er Hirey hits the screen today.