Hailing from the picturesque Cooch Behar in the foothills of Eastern Himalayas, actor Sawon Chakraborty grew up in a typical Bengali family that thrives on culture. Having grown up watching his father in the proscenium, he took to theatrics from a tender age. Years down the line, he now juggles between building a promising future in the world of showbiz and a career in academia.
After getting noticed for his performances in Magno Mainak, Ekannoborti and Uttoron, Sawon debuted as a lead actor in the film Nagar Baul Katha. We caught up with him for a candid chat on his debut and his experiences in theatre and cinema.
How has the transition been?
To be honest, the shift happened quite randomly. My first project happened primarily based on my resemblance with the character they were looking for. Four years back, I took a hiatus from theatrics to focus on my academic career. As luck would have it, I was approached to be cast as Sabyasachi Chakraborty’s son in an Addatimes web series called In Their Life. It was an irresistible chance to miss out on and I nodded in response quite naturally. After In Their Life, opportunities flowed in one after the other.
You have grown up amidst thespians; have predominantly worked in web series and now stepping into the world of cinema. How challenging has the journey been so far?
Theatre teaches you to perform under the circumstances of a distinctive space that is different from acting in front of the camera. The stage demands to draw attention from the masses, while you have to be way more subtle when on-screen. It takes a lot of time to understand the nuances of acting on-screen and it is a learning curve with every project.
Nagar Baul Katha is your first project as a lead, right?
It was immensely exciting for me to take up the role of Abhilash, as this was my first performance as a lead. Nagar Baul Katha is a musical project based on the twists and turns in the life of rural boy Abhilashas he steps into a city to pursue his dreams. The experience was more exhilarating than intimidating as I had a bunch of highly energetic co-actors to work with. Moreover, this was my second project opposite Swastika Dutta.
What are you currently working on?
I will be seen in Amazon Prime’s upcoming project titled The Girl, directed by Debaloy Bhattacharya. The web series is a thriller starring Tanya Maniktala, Vinay Pathak, Jisshu Sengupta and Parambrata Chattopadhyay in pivotal roles. I am thrilled to have shared the screen with a legendary actor like Vinay Pathak.
Nagar Baul Katha is now streaming on Zee5.