Interview: Jisshu U Sengupta and Subhashree Ganguly unfiltered on Abhhiman
With Indraadip Dasgupta’s emotional drama Abhhiman running at the theatres, Tollywood powerhouses Jisshu U Sengupta and Subhashree Ganguly sit down for an unfiltered conversation. Marking a significant milestone in his career, the film sees Jisshu stepping into the shoes of a producer under his new banner, Why So Serious Films, alongside co-producer Saurav Das.
In this candid chat, the duo reveals how their longtime friendship evolved on the set, the rare emotional camaraderie shared with co-star Prosenjit Chatterjee, and their knack for switching between heavy emotional scenes and lighthearted moments. Excerpts:
You have known each other for years. As Jisshu also turns producer with this film, has there been a shift in your friendship or relationship?
Subhashree: There has been a change, yes. It has become stonger. And being a part of every firsts, I think feels very special. And I am blessed to be a part of Why So Serious' first film. Prosenjit Chatter or I, both have seen and known Jisshu or Saurav for a long time now, but we got intertwined with the production house so emotionally, that is a rare incideent.
Is that become you and Prosenjit both have been producers?
Subhashree: No, not really. Since we understand how a cinema is made, what goes behind it and how it is released at the theatres, a concern definitely remains, but we earnestly pray that this production house grows big and they are able to tell the stories that they want to tell.
The film has a huge creative team boasting of Saurav, Indraadip, Srijato and Srijit Mukherji, apart from the acting team. The shooting must have been fun?
Jisshu: It was fun, yes. And that is how I work. I might be an emotional scene, or an intense scene, I will make it fun just to ease the tension in me. Even though Subhashree or I didn't have scenes to shoot, we have always been together, and have enjoyed the whole process. And Indraadip, aka ID is a very chilled-out director. He doesn't get angry or irritated, in fact amid our schedules we would just go to him to cuddles, and he would get irritated. We enjoyed the whole process.
Subhashree, is Jisshu a very strict producer or were you pampered more that the usual?
Jisshu: She was the apple of our set.
Subhashree: Absolutely. I was treated like a queen.
But what i would really want to mention is that after many years I laughed a lot at the sets, which is usually not my process. Even ID was very surprised. I usually like to get involved so deeply that I like to grow up to be the character, and stay with it.
On our first day, Jisshu came and asked me, 'Do you remain very serious on the sets? I can't work like this (in such a serious atmosphere) and kept blabbering. He just didn't allow me to speak.
Jisshu: I asked her the question, but answered it myself.
Subhashree: We shot such intense scenes amid such fun moments. So i realised that I even have this quality of switching on and off.
Jisshu, you shared this story with Rituparno Ghosh first. How would it be different if he was there today?
Jishhu: Yes, during the shooting of Abohoman, sometime between 2009-2011. During that time, there was just a sketchy idea about the story, and it was a story based on one day. Over the years, I have discussed the story with many people and has evolved in the process, resulting to the story that finally made it to the screens.
I don't know. May be.
I probably haven't said this to Subhashree before, that she is unfortunate that she couldn't work with Rituparno Ghosh. The actresses, junior to me or even my contemporaries, those who couldn't work with Ritu da, it is a huge loss for them. I mean, he was an institution. Around 70-80% of his heroines have won the National Awards, which speaks a lot what he was for those heroines.
So yes, if Ritu da was here, Subhashree could have learnt so much. if i ever direct something, I would cast Subhashree. My entire learning about films, about direction, everything is from Ritu da. May be I would not make the genre of films that he used to make, but all my learnings on how to approach a character or a scene is from him. 2007-2013, I was with an institution. He was my father, my mother, my friend, my guide, my teacher, he was my everything.
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While shooting, was a part of you being the producer?
Jisshu: No, never. There are a lot of intense, emotional spaces in this film, and to pull those off, my mind couldn't have been somewhere else.
Also, I have to thank Saurav, my co-producer, for taking all the toil and trouble that went into making this film. Even if I wanted to, he didn't let me take any pressure. So, thanks to him!
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