Debutante Hiya Chatterjee’s fashion-forward Father’s Day exclusive interview with dad Saswata Chatterjee
Ahead of Father’s Day, which falls this year on Sunday, June 15, we went scouting for a father who perfectly fits the bill to be a cool dad to a Gen Z daughter. We found our match in actor Saswata Chatterjee and his daughter, the budding actor Hiya Chatterjee, who’s all set to debut in Rahool Mukherjee’s next film, Mon Maaney Na, opposite the suave Ritwik Bhowmik.
For the father-daughter shoot, we were at tenterhooks till the end to make it happen, with Saswata being stuck in Georgia for the shoot of his upcoming Telugu film, Akhanda 2, and Hiya completing a hectic shoot schedule for Mon Maaney Na, a 90s inspired tale of love set in the scenic landscapes of North Bengal.
Finally, when we got them, it was a rollercoaster chat and a fun shoot styled by Ajopa Mukherjee. While Hiya looked the quintessential Daddy’s girl in these two girlie dresses from Pallavi Singhee’s label Verb, Saswata looked every inch the cool dad in the two looks created by designer Arjun Agarwal. Here are the excerpts from the chat where we discovered the very cool equation Hiya shares with her father.
Debutante Hiya Chatterjee shares how growing up with a storyteller dad made her fall in love with cinema—one Goopy-Bagha tale at a time
What does Father’s Day mean to you? How are you planning to celebrate the occasion?
Hiya: As a child, I used to make cards for my dad on Father’s Day and it’s a day that reminds me of the things he does every day for me, and how tirelessly he works. Additionally, his dedication to the craft sort of made me want to be an actor. As for the celebrations, I just wrapped up my shoot in North Bengal, and dad just got back from Georgia after a shooting schedule. So, we will ring in the day by eating our favourite cuisine, which is Chinese, and talk about movies and our days at work.
Do you think fathers are unsung heroes?
Hiya: Yes, everything I have now is because of my parents. We often take some things for granted in our daily life. But as I have started working in films, I see the amount of effort that goes behind the kind of life I am leading.
How has your father inspired you to choose acting?
Hiya: My dad’s the reason I got introduced to films. He used to narrate dialogues from Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne to make me go to sleep. Stories and films have been a part of me ever since I can remember. Dad is the reason I got exposed to the film world and got interested in it. He’s my biggest inspiration and even if I can be two per cent of what he is, I think that’ll be a big deal for me.
Saswata: A lot has changed between when I began my career and now. When I started, we had a lot of time to shoot a film. Hiya’s generation works for 18 to 20 hours a day and copes so well. We were not very serious about our careers, but Hiya knows what she wants and approaches it with serious discipline.
What was your reaction when she chose acting? Did you give her any advice?
Saswata: We have always supported her in whatever she wanted to do. It still amazes me to see her all grown up. When she was born premature, I had to run across from a South Kolkata nursing home to another one in Salt Lake in search of an incubator to keep her safe. Now, seeing that little bundle of joy all grown up, hale and hearty, and beginning her career, is an incredible experience I am having as a father. The only advice I give her is to do her job sincerely, but also do it as long as it gives her happiness. A career in the film industry is just a part of your life, not your whole life.
Hiya: Dad was super supportive when he heard about my career choice. Both my parents always let me decide what I wanted to do in my life, but at the same time, they are protective. Whenever any story comes my way, even though it’s my mom who accompanies me to audition and reading sessions, we come back and narrate to dad to know what he feels. His opinion really matters to me.
Do you feel it helps being an actor’s child?
Hiya: Though my father is an actor, at the end of day, I have to perform and focus on my own skill sets and groom myself and train in a way to create a place for myself, and I’m working towards that.
Saswata: What I am proud of Hiya is that she never took my help in getting her first break in acting. Whatever she has achieved, she has done it on her own, and I hope her efforts will be appreciated on screen. The only request she had was that I play a cameo in her first film, and I obliged.
As a child, when did you realise your grandfather and father are actors? How did you feel watching them on screen?
Hiya: Since I have been visiting sets from an early age, I realised quite early on what my grandad and dad did for a living. But when I used to watch my dad in scenes with another child, I would start bawling. I wanted to be my dad’s only favourite child on and off screen.
How do you deal with having a famous father, when it comes to going out with him like any ordinary kid?
Saswata: When I was a child, my father (Subhendu Chatterjee) too, kept me away from the limelight and glamour world. We never saw any celebrity visiting us at home, I never attended film parties, and we never discussed films at home. Hence, I had a childhood as normal as any of my friends. I never realised growing up that my father was a popular actor. Mohua and I also tried to bring up Hiya the same way. My father never approached anyone to launch me, and in that respect, I am also quite similar to him. I never approached anyone to launch my daughter.
What are the things you miss doing with your father because he is a celeb?
Hiya: The best part is dad never made me feel he’s a celeb. Because of work, there have been times we couldn’t find common dates, but he has always been just a dad for me.
Saswata: I remember when I was a child, I used to go to sleep smelling one of my father’s shirts, when he wasn’t around. Once, when Hiya was just about an year old, I remember returning after days of shoot, and she started wailing seeing me. It took me over an hour to pacify her on my lap.
What are the things you admire the most in your father?
Hiya: His sense of discipline. No matter how late he sleeps the night before, he always wakes up on time if he has a shoot. I admire his commitment to his craft.
Which films of your father are your favourite?
Hiya: Thrillers like Abar Proloy and Shabor, Meghe Dhaka Tara, and BJ in The Night Manager were iconic.
Who are you closer to, your mother or father?
Hiya: I am closer to mom, she’s my best friend, and I’m my daddy’s little princess. A lot of things go through her to him, so they know everything that’s happening in my life, even the tiny details that they probably don’t need to know.
What’s the most loving way your father has pampered you?
Hiya: My dad always senses when I am low, and he immediately orders my favourite food to make me happy. He might not be very expressive, but these little gestures mean a lot.
You just finished shooting. How was it to have Ritwik Bhowmik as a co-actor?
Hiya: We already shot a large chunk of the film, and I am excited about how it will come out. I admired Ritwik ever since his debut in Bandish Bandits and never thought that one day I would be debuting with him. He is such a humble actor, he never makes me feel it’s my first movie, and when our shoot is over, we are always hanging out and discussing so many things.
What are your fashion choices?
Hiya: Fashion is comfort for me. Fashion should mirror one’s personality, and I love jewel tones like reds and pinks. I like casual and chic looks. For parties, it’s girlcore fashion for me with dresses all the way.
Courtesy:
Pictures: Debarshi Sarkar (for Hiya Chatterjee) and Writam Saha (for Saswata Chatterjee | Outfits: For Hiya: Verb by Pallavi Singhee, For Saswata: Arjun Agarwal | Makeup: Bhaskar Biswas | Hair: Supriya Haldar | Styling: The Grooming Company, Assisted by: Konil Sarkar | Location: Picture Perfect Studio
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