Dapper actor Shaheb Bhattacherjee doesn’t only steal hearts but also makes sure to steal the spotlight when it comes to acting. In an attempt to master the art of acting, Shaheb had ventured into the world of theatre ten years back. Today he is a regular on stage and busy with multiple projects both in terms of theatre and films. He believes theatre keeps him grounded and in touch with his true self, and wishes to break the chain of certain theatrical stereotypes prevalent for long. We catch up with Shaheb ahead of his show of Jodi Ekbar at Rabindra Sadan tonight.
You are a regular on-screen. How did you venture into stage acting?
All of this started back in 2012 when I was shooting for Khaad along with Kamaleswar Mukherjee. We had a busy shooting schedule in North Sikkim, and I expressed my desire to work for theatre productions to him. I have always wanted to master the art of acting and believe theatre is the right platform for actors to do so. Kamaleswar da promptly told me about his theatre group and eventually I ended up as the lead opposite Sohini Sarkar, in one of his productions named Oboyob, directed by Nabakumar Banerjee. The production went on to participate and win a prize from the Theatre Olympics organised by National School of Drama. That is how my theatre journey took off.
Tell us about your latest production Jodi Ekbar
The concept is the brainchild of our scriptwriter Debapratim Dasgupta, and it dawned on us one day as we were discussing ideas in our rehearsal room. The play lends voices to inseparable parts of the glamour industry, who work relentlessly day in and day out without any recognition. Jodi Ekbar talks about these people, but in a humorous way. The story revolves around two primary characters enacted by me and popular television actress Devlina Kumar. My character is that of an individual who dresses up every morning and tells everybody about his shooting schedule before leaving for work, despite no one ever having seen him in any film. Similarly Devlina’s character boasts about recording very often despite no one hearing her sing for once. It eventually turns out that the guy is the body double for the most famous superstar of the industry while the lady earns a living by doing voiceovers for actresses who aren’t fluent in Bengali. Their journey of life as a part of the industry shapes up the crux of the story.
When did you realise you really wanted to become an actor?
I started acting really early in life and was discovered by veteran actor Chandu Chowdhury. He was a regular in filmmaker Anjan Choudhhury’s films and took me to the legendary director when I was just six years old. My first film as a child actor was the blockbuster Sangharsha. It was a multi-starrer film with stalwarts like Prosenjit, Tapas Paul, Ranjit Mallick, Abhishek Chatterjee and so on. I went on to act in about a dozen other films and realised soon enough that this is my true calling. It was a sun-conscious decision that grew on me and soon I wanted to act more.
Given a chance, which yesteryear legend would you really love to work with?
I would definitely love to work with the evergreen Uttam Kumar. I was lucky enough to work with his brother Tarun Kumar in a Doordarshan telefilm named Bhaloye Bhaloye. In terms of a filmmaker, it has to be the National Award winning director Buddhadeb Dasgupta.
Will we see you don the director’s hat anytime soon?
Not yet since I wish to hone my skills as an actor more. It is difficult to be a theatre actor in Kolkata since it is bound by some rigid rules. Theatre actors often venture out into the film world, but film and television actors can seldom be seen stepping into the more challenging form of theatre. Theatre requires actors to be grounded and in touch with themselves.
What projects are you working on currently?
I have a couple of other plays actively going on and about. There’s one named Dojon Dujon by Behala Bratyajan where I can be seen on stage with Kharaj Mukherjee and Supriyo Dutta. It is an amalgamation of twelve short plays. I am also working on another production named Rangabati with Kharaj Mukherjee. In terms of films, I have Atanu Ghosh’s Aro Ek Prithibi and Raja Chanda’s Chandrabindu due to be released. The latter will see me on screen with Ankush Hazra, Oindrila and Shantilal Mukherjee. Apart from this I have a couple of webs and films lined up.
Do you have any regrets as an actor?
I think most actors in our industry would say that they haven’t been explored well. Actors like Kanchan Mullick and Biswanath Basu have been stereotyped for comic roles whereas they have to offer so much more. Kanchan Mullick was brilliant in a film like Rajkahini and offered us a glimpse into his diversity as an actor. This is an unfortunate regret I have from our industry.
What: Jodi Ekbar
Where: Rabindra Sadan
When: 21st October (6:30pm onwards)