Pursuing his innate sense of wanderlust, Prantik Banerjee consciously chose supporting characters over lead roles, whether it was in films or serials to travel frequently. “I tried to avoid being trapped into any sort of contract that might tie me down for a long time,” says the 30-year-old, who started his acting career with a role in the TV series Sanjhbela, a decade ago.
Followed by a vital role in the series Aparajito that starred Jisshu Sengupta in 2011, Prantik worked in television, films and theatre, until filmmaker Shieladitya Maulik spotted him in the Bengali web series Brityo and cast him for Hridpindo. The movie that was slated for April 21 release, has Prantik in one of the lead roles opposite Arpita Chatterjee. We had a quick chat with the actor, who is now busy shooting for the popular TV series Kadambini, about bagging his first lead after a decade in Tollywood. Excerpts:
Finally, you will be in seen in a lead role in Hridpindo. How does it feel?
I am extremely happy, but I have never really chased anyone for a lead role. I always believe in letting my work speak for me and have diligently done my job. I always try to learn and hone my skills since I have no formal training in acting, and after I am done, I simply pack my bags for destinations unknown.
Tell us a little about your character in Hridpindo? How was Shieladitya to work with?
I play Rik, who lives in the mountains. He is a heroic character, a bit larger than life, and it gave me ample opportunities to perform. Shieladitya is one of the most levelheaded persons to work with. He will unconsciously make you relearn acting in a whole new way. It’s incredible how effortlessly he extricates a performance from an actor.
And how was it working with Arpita Chatterjee?
It was such a beautiful experience working with her. Since we shot the last sequence first, I was initially ill-at-ease. But, Arpita opened up and made me so comfortable. She helped in every possible way to better our scenes together and it brought out the spontaneity in me.
How do you plan to chart your career?
I want to act in projects that are in different languages. I have already done a short in Nepali and would love to explore more such acting avenues. Besides, OTT platforms have blurred all the distinction between a hero and character actors. It offers great scope to break the mould and experiment.
Who are the filmmakers you want to work with?
Imtiaz Ali and Anurag Kashyap top my wish list. In Tollywood, I want to play a meaty role in a film by Aparna Sen.
sharmishtha.g@newindianexpress.com
@sharmidas