‘Shreeman vs Shreemati’: Mithun Chakraborty and Anjan Dutt get candid about their new movie
As Pathikrit Basu’s latest directorial a romantic comedy surpassing generations, Shreeman vs Shreemati, hits the screen, we speak to actors Mithun Chakraborty and Anjan Dutt on their experience, sharing screen space for the first time, and the era of re-releases.
Excerpts:
What attracted you to the script?
Mithun: It’s the first time we are sharing screen space. It’s a great opportunity to work with him (Anjan). He is a very powerful actor, a very nice man. We never had any problem in any scene. We understand each other so much. Maybe he does not know what I will do in a scene but for that he will not make faces but he accepts it.
Anjan: He (Mithun) attracted me to the film. To work with Mithun Chakraborty, is a dream come true for any sensible actor. There are very rare actors present in India who have conquered two very different kinds of cinema genres – parallel and commercial.
Mithun da, Anjan Dutt as an actor or a director?
Singer first! He is a very good director and actor too, but as a singer he is no less. Not many people understand or try to understand. He as a singer is exceptional.
Tell us about your characters?
Mithun: We play college friends. I liked the character played by Anjana and we get married. Anjan’s character leaves for a foreign country. But he comes back maybe knowing that we are having a divorce. This divorce case is on for 27 years but the judge cannot conclude because one wants a divorce and the other is denying it. It’s a very light comedy film which people will like.
Anjan: I think it’s a very typical old-fashioned love triangle which we still like to watch on –screens.
How do you think relationship between married couples have changed over the years?
Mithun: For us, love is very important, because without it, there is no relationship. However, today young people think love is not important but living together is. But I don’t feel that such a relationship sustains itself in the long run. Ultimately you have to tie the bond of marriage, and if that succeeds, everything succeeds.
Anjan: Adding to it is responsibility. Love carries a responsibility. Love cannot be just physical attraction. Maybe this responsibility is something that we are overlooking in most cases. So, Responsible Love is very important and there is a vaccum of it in today’s society. That is why people are taking decisions in a blink.
How was the experience of working with Pathikrit?
Mithun: This is my second film with him. He is a very natural and hassle –free guy to work with.
Anjan: I sincerely hope that the movie is successful because Pathikrit is young, and takes a lot of risk in making the movie. He is very honest and I think that is a remarkable thing about him.
How do you think cinema as a medium is faring with the rise of OTT which also starts streaming cinema after their theatrical run?
Mithun: There is always a demand for anything new and OTT is new. But one day it will also get old and something else will come in its place. But cinema will stay in its place. There’s nothing like watching it on the big-screen.
Anjan: If it is an interesting cinema that people would want to watch, they will go to the cinema halls and watch. In OTT, the advantage is those who have moved out of the country, they can watch it. This is the scientific logic according to me. Staying in Kolkata but waiting when the movie will come on an OTT platform, I believe is a failure on the part of the audience.
What are your thoughts on re-releases and if your movies had to re-release which ones would they be?
Mithun: I’ll say watch Disco Dancer the first day, Ramakrishna Paramhansa on the second, then Kaalpurush followed by Dance Dance. People will know the range of an actor and also the reality of film-making.
Anjan: Disco Dancer, Mrigayaa, we also had the centenary of Mrinal Sen recently. Today’s generation have not seen these movies in theatre halls. It’s good that again people are coming back to theatres to watch these kinds of films. The dancing star who has done Kabuliwala is what people have seen today, but what is his past, that also needs to be seen. These films are our treasures, if they are brought back to the halls, it will help directors like Pathikrit.
Shreeman vs Shreemati is running in theatres near you!