Ranojoy Bishnu’s latest character Rishi in Soumya Roy Choudhury’s Ghun Gaon has unimaginable secrets. Before the veil lifts on the mystery of the story and the character, the actor does an exclusive shoot for Indulge and sits for a hearty chat about his role, preparation process, festive fashion, and more. Excerpts:
What attracted you to playing Rishi in Ghun Gaon?
In my 20 years in the industry, I have not had a role like Rishi. He has all kinds of shades that an actor is seeking out to play. I enjoyed playing Rishi, and people will know why after watching the film.
What kind of preparation process do you undertake?
I don’t believe in the ideology of looking at other p e r for mances because the plots and situations are always different. Years ago, when I was new to the industry, I was doing a crying scene when the director told me to think about a situation wherein I had lost my mother and then react. This was practically impossible because the equation I share with my mother and the equation my character shares with his mother are very different. If I carried forward the same emotion, it would not have worked. That is why my basic process is to go back to the character’s childhood. Their adulthood is a reflection of their journey—the people they befriend, their education, friends, everything. So, when I heard about Rishi, both Soumya (Roy Choudhury) and I sketched the character to ref lect him on screen.
You are teaming up with Anindita (Bose) after years. How was the experience?
Yes. But I know her as an artiste, and her body of work is inspiring. She is very friendly and professional. While working together, we pushed ourselves to give our best performances.
Tell us about your experience of working with Soumya Roy Choudhury.
He is lovely with fresh ideas. Sometimes, while performing as actors, we tend to do something extra. That is when the director steps in and says just what they want. Sometimes, directors, especially if new, tend to agree with actors who have been in the industry for a long time. But Soumya won’t agree. He knows just what he wants and is very particular. Whenever I saw him on the floor, he was always excited, and you could see the vision in his eyes. If a director does not have a clear vision, how do actors perform? So, for me, he has done a really good job.
What is that one moment throughout the entire process of being associated with Ghun Gaon that has remained with you?
There was a very beautiful climax. I also have a chunk of monologues. I will always remember this and the kind of free space Soumya has given me to perform.
Do characters and instances stay with you after a ‘cut’?
No, it has never happened to me since the beginning of my career. I don’t believe in method acting. Why would I carry a character ? Maybe I can carry a moment of truth. Today we are in a situation where everybody is trying to reinvent themselves to stay relevant.
What excites you about a project?
The first thing is the script. Second is the director’s vision. Third, a character with layers. I don’t want to play a major character with nothing to do. In my last film, Raash by Tathagatha Mukherjee, I played a godly character with 20-25 minutes of screen time. But the character’s significance made me accept it. I like grey characters because nobody is just white.
Three things in your wardrobe for the upcoming festive season
Kurta sets, dhotis, wide-leg cotton pants along with an oversized cotton shirt. I like pastel shades. I have10- 15 white shirts and white pants. Same goes for black. My basic style statement will be a white shirt and blue jeans.
Is there a fashion mistake that men should never repeat?
Narrow jeans. It looks horrible. I don’t know why guys wear them. I will not try to.
Credits:
Photographs by: LOukik Das
Stylist: Sumita Saha
Suit: Label Tanmoy Biswas
Location: Savoy Rooftop
Ghun Gaon is running in theatres near you.
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