Exclusive: Dibyendu Bhattacharya, who was in Kolkata recently, talks to us about his acting journey
It takes two decades to become an overnight success”, says actor Dibyendu Bhattacharya, who is living proof of the adage. An NSD alumnus, the actor has enacted every possible character, from gritty law enforcers to complex, everyday figures with subtlety. He compares his acting style to dal-bhaat (pulse and rice): comforting, grounded, and deeply rooted in simplicity. Now, with his recent releases Alpha and Raakh earning him accolades from critics and audiences alike, we catch up with him to dive into his craft, his roots, and what keeps him grounded amidst the buzz. Excerpts:
Even after 20 years, you believe that every new set is like an empty canvas. Why’s that? How does that benefit you as an actor?
The set at every new project is like a new challenge. I keep saying that if I play three police inspectors back-to-back, even if the colour of the uniform is the same, the person wearing the uniform can never be the same.
No two characters can exactly be the same, as they all belong to different socio-economic, socio-political and cultural backgrounds. Which is why I take every character as a challenge and I try to peel it like an onion skin to get to the core. And until and unless I perform, I won’t know whether I am heading in the right direction or not.
Also, it’s a new film, new world, and a new story. So, how can I be so confident about it? When I work, I also believe that it is an empty canvas, because if it is not blank, how can I paint on it?
Do you take notes from the script?
Of course, I do. It is the grammar. You get all the information from the script. If you are not getting any particular information from the script, then one needs to ask the director whether he has something else in his mind, if he has any personal notes. Any project is an artistic collaboration. It’s a combined world. I need everybody’s feedback.
What if the nuances of the character are not written? How do you prepare then?
When the ornamentation, costumes, makeup, everything is done, you get to see a different human being in the mirror. So, when I see a different human being in the mirror, I try to pull myself behind the character and go to the director saying that I think the character should be such.
Let me give you an example: In Jio Hotstar’s Aar Ya Paar (now titled Teerandaz), I play this tribal guy called Pullapa. He limps, but we do not know anything about the background. So one day, we were discussing the character and decided that he is a tribal guy, now living in the city, and is a go-getter who keeps abusing his tribal card. We don’t know why he limps; probably he got hurt by a police firing during insurgency, or maybe he is that kind of a guy who creates fake stories, and it kind of worked. This was entirely a character built collaboratively.
Does art and literature also help you in building your characters?
So, literature is something which when you read it, creates a world for you, lets you imagine. When you read, you can see things a lot differently. That is the beauty of literature. Good literature puts all your memories and senses to use, trying to indulge in that particular scene. If you can create the world, you can even sense, touch and smell through your mind. Reading literature is very important for an actor to create that world of imagination in your mind.
Did you ever get cancelled because of looks?
I haven’t faced anything like that. I never faced any racism or something like that. I always tell people, There are a few incidents where somebody told me, 'Oh, you are so dark; we are not looking for that.' I don’t mind because I am a dark guy. Why should I mind? So, it’s not like that. If it were like that, I wouldn’t be working today.
And what about pay parity and work schedules?
Pay disparity has always been there. The industry runs on a hierarchy. The highest paid actors are the stars. In fact, the star’s budget is not even a part of the show/film. It is beyond it.
The characters are all ranked or indexed as per importance, so the remuneration varies accordingly. Even in corporate houses, there are different payment slabs, so that’s alright.
Coming to the time schedule, in Mumbai we mostly do a 12-hour shoot. Sometimes, there are situations where we have to put in one-two hours extra upon request, but it usually is 12 hours, because beyond that the shift changes, and the producer has to shell out a lot of money to bear another set of technicians and nobody wants to do that.
I think 12 hours is enough. I think eight hours is also enough. Earlier, when we started our career, we used to have an eight-hour shift.
But I have also heard of people shooting for 18, 19, 21 hours for prime time television serials. Even I have shot for 21 hours for Jamtara, but that was a real crisis situation.
Today, one thing really struck me: how you came for the interview all alone, no manager or publicist. How do you manage that?
I love it. That is my connection with the world and the people. I have an entourage in Mumbai. They are there during the shoots. But when I go somewhere, I still like to ride my yellow, retro Vespa. I go to the market to buy fish, choose my meat, fresh green veggies, and like any true blue Bengali, I bargain a lot.
I get mobbed sometimes, but that’s okay. I’m an actor, so if they come to me for selfies, that means that people are actually watching me. If they like me, love me, they will approach me. I quite enjoy that.
You are very passionate about cooking. If I ask you to describe your acting profession as a particular dish, or a cuisine, what would that be?
Dal-bhaat (dal and rice). I could have said lasagna, or rezala, but I said dal-bhaat, because that is a basic food, as is my acting. My acting is simple. I don’t use gimmicks and try to do them as naturally as possible.
You are essentially a Kolkata guy. Like many others, is it also a love-hate relationship with the city? Do you intend to come back?
Yeah, I intend to come back. My father is here. My mother passed away in 2012. My father, sisters, close friends, my upbringing, my childhood, my Academy of Fine Arts, my Behala- everything is here, so I will keep coming back to this city.
Why do we not see you in Bengali projects? Are you not offered, or do you intentionally stay away?
Neither of these. I love to work in Bengali cinema and would really like to work in some substantial, new roles, some that have novelty. The offers I usually get aren’t very substantial, and sometimes they are very stereotypical, and I keep getting the same kinds of roles, and I don’t want to repeat myself.
A lot of times I have also turned down offers because I couldn’t fit them in my schedule. But if the projects are good, I would manage somehow anyway. Plus, the budget here is also a lot less than that of Mumbai. However, the final call will always be the character/role that is offered. If I like it, I would happily say yes.
The actor will next be seen in Gulabi with Huma Qureshi and Anushka Sharma-starrer Chakda ‘Xpress.
For more updates, join/follow our WhatsApp, Telegram and YouTube channels.