Bonny Sengupta on playing Aranyadeb in Bhanupriya Bhooter Hotel
Actor Bonny Sengupta plays hero Aranyadeb in Bhanupriya Bhooter Hotel opposite Swastika Dutta. Here’s what the actor has to say about his new avatar.
Tell us about your character
Aranyadeb, my character, is a part of the journey that is taking place inside Bhanupriya Bhooter Hotel. There are many characters in the hotel, and it’s interesting to see how he fits into that ensemble. I play a hero, so I had to act a little over-the-top. The name Aranyadeb is originally from a Bengali comic book.
How relatable or different was Aranyadeb to you as a real-life actor?
There are several relatable instances shown in the film that happen to an actor in real life. However, whenever I had queries, I raised them to the writer and director. If they were correct from my end, then they put in the thought to make some edits. But if they could justify and answer my queries, then we went ahead with the original script. So, it was a mutual process.
How did you prepare for the role?
We, Swastika [Dutta], Soham [ Mazumder], and I, had quite a few workshops together. Mimi [Chakraborty] and I did not have a lot of scenes apart from the dance sequences. But the rest of us had workshops to break the ice. Swastika has been a friend for a while because we did a film a few years ago. This is my first time working with Soham, and now we have bonded just like brothers.
Do you believe in the existence of ghosts? Have you felt anything amiss?
I believe in negative energy. I have seen Ghost Busters, Aahat, and also Annabelle, which is based on true stories. So what is a Ghost; or its perception is confusing. I had recently been to Bali, and we were hearing a lot of banging noises from our room. I got up and saw a figure walking out of the door. I asked Koushani, who was amazed because she couldn’t see who I was yelling at. The next day, we checked camera footage, but nothing was there.
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