Anindya Sengupta on playing Debu in Bibi Payra
From the romantic hero in X=Prem to a boxed, brooding man in Niharika, 37-year-old actor Anindya Sengupta has, in his short yet promising career, played more varied roles than many of his contemporaries and seniors. As his film Bibi Payra, directed by Arjunn Dutta, released last Friday, he shares what newer aspects of a character he explores in this film. Excerpts:
Tell us about your character in Bibi Payra.
Debu is a young, flawed guy who comes from a suburban area and lives with his pregnant wife at his in-laws’ house. There is a patriarchal insecurity working within him, and it is kind of haunting him as he keeps mentioning that he is a ghor jamai (a husband who stays at his in-laws’ house). But there is also an empathetic trait in him, which wants to believe where he lives can’t be a problem for him; he wants to step in to help anyone in need, along with feeling responsible towards his wife.
Why do we see so less of you on social media? Has your social media followers ever influenced your work offers?
Firstly, I am very lazy. Also, if I am off work, I don’t speak. I feel there are way more learned people out there to comment on things, on situations, on incidents. I just post whatever is required for my work.
I mean, how do I promote myself? I cannot wrap my head around taking selfies. If there comes a time when I can’t do without taking selfies, I’ll do it. I will learn it as a craft and as a skill, but trust me, it will be very difficult for me to sustain. Sustaining pretension is very difficult for me.
Also, to answer your question, my Instagram followers never translated into work offers. For brand collaborations, they are definitely needed, and it so happened that some collaborations didn’t materialise because the followers weren’t as high as brands expected. Whenever I put up anything, whether a write-up or a nicely shot picture, just to validate myself (because everyone needs validation), I use the hashtag ‘Just Seeking Validation’.
Your onscreen characters are usually younger than you. Is that an advantage?
I don’t know, honestly. But I don’t mind it either, as long as I am cast in different characters and genres. I want to dance, fight, and do somersaults, I want to play the drums, and guitar, and do all of this, if not more.
What other projects do you have in the pipeline?