Actors Soham Majumdar and Ditipriya Roy chat with us about their just-released movie 'Pataligunjer Putul Khela'
Collaborating for the first time are actors Soham Majumdar and Ditipriya Roy for the comedy movie PataliGunjer Putul Khela directed by Subhankar Chattopadhyay. Through the movie, the fresh duo not only forays into making people laugh but also uses cinema as a powerful medium to uphold the ancient folk art of Putul khela (or puppetry). Veterans like Paran Bandopadhyay and Rajatava Dutta are also part of the cast, so the audience can expect a laugh ride in the cinema halls. We met the lead pair at Southern Plaza Hotel for a candid chat.
Excerpts:
What attracted you to PataliGunjer Putul Khela?
Soham: I had switched off my pragmatic mind and chose a genre that I love from the bottom of my heart. Subhankar was a name and face we all grew up with, maybe he did not come in the public foray often but his comedy show was one we loved and revered. So naturally getting a chance to work with him was the first attraction. Ditipriya and I collaborated also for the first time.
Ditipriya: I liked the script, team, and director who has been doing a very successful television show in the comedy genre. I really wanted to work with them.
Tell us about your characters.
Soham: I play Gopal Mukherjee and I show putulkhela or beni putuler naach which is an art form derived from Medinipur and naturally I do not earn much from that. My character is a loving, carefree guy trying to fulfill his father’s dreams. He is like the guy next door. While practicing for this character I had to gain a little weight and learn the art form.
Ditipriya: I essay Rai Mukherjee, a housewife. I am married to Gopal and shift to PataliGunj. How my life changes after marriage is primarily my character’s perspective.
Do you have a memory with dolls or puppets?
Soham: I mostly played with my sister’s Ranna Bati (kitchen set). I was made to be the house chef in those games. I cooked biscuits with Cheese among others. But I have memories of G.I. Joe's and action figures. I used to sneak away some money from my mother’s purse and buy these action figures with the money that I saved.
Ditipriya: I used to play with dolls. I remember I used to stitch and design dresses for them.
How was the experience of working with each other?
Soham: She has experienced much more life than I have. She has been running up and down with the work that she has been doing from a very early age. In a way, she is my senior. I got to learn a lot about the craft and the industry at large from her. Energy is my middle name so I am sure I irritated her with that pretty often. But she was very patient with me and the kind of processes that I go through. We had a lot of fun developing the characters together while we attended workshops. I think those helped us build chemistry.
Ditipriya: He’s very energetic. It was fun working with him and the entire team. He’s very vivacious as a person. I am an introvert and he is very much outgoing. I like that about him. But yes I had to be patient with his jokes. He thinks that he is cracking the best jokes but he isn’t.
Paran Bandopadhyay and Rajatava Dutta are some of the first names associated with comedy. What was your takeaway from working with them?
Soham: Rajatava Sir and I did not share the screen too much in this film. But I had a lot of scenes with Paran sir because he plays my father in the film. The kind of stories that he used to tell me…I may not get this chance time and again so I have to grasp everything that I can. Having said that he’s a lot of fun too.
Ditipriya: I have worked with Rajatava da in other projects but it was my first time with Paran Sir. It was amazing shooting with the legends. It’s their genre. I was a bit nervous working with them because they are so experienced. We had to take the preparation to match their energy since we are new in this genre. Paran Sir makes us understand that age is just a number.
How does 2025 look in terms of work?
Soham: This year I am planning to do a lot of Bengali films. I also like to go out and do workshops to learn and stay updated with the kind of work we do.
Ditipriya: It has started on a good note. After a long break, I am coming on television and one of my films is going to release on 31st Jan also. Let’s see how it goes after that.
PataliGunjer Putul Khela is releasing today in theatres near you.