Ritwick Chakraborty on Phera: “I need to become as many characters as I can”
Ritwick Chakraborty remains one of the rare actors who never performs louder than the story demands. In Phera, he steps into the shoes of Polash, a man caught between ambition, memory and a father he no longer fully understands. In conversation, Ritwick speaks about working alongside Sanjay Mishra, reuniting with director Pritha Chakraborty, and why he has never measured life through success, age or stardom but only through the characters he still has left to become.
What drew you to Polash as a character?
When I learned Sanjay Mishra would play the role of my father in the film, I had to say yes. But definitely the script and the story matter significantly. When we decide to work on a project, it’s not only the character I am playing that helps me say yes; the story matters too. I felt the movie would be very relatable— Bengali and contemporary. Father-son stories are layered but also universal.
How was your experience sharing screen space with Sanjay Mishra?
He is brilliant. Every actor in India knows him, and we love his work. Working with him was an interesting experience. Witnessing the process of how he became Pannalal throughout the film was an experience in itself. When we work together, it becomes difficult to observe your co-actor a lot because you are also acting, but I tried. He majorly works in Bollywood, which is a much bigger industry than ours. So how he adjusted and coped with us was another thing for me to learn as a professional actor. This was his first Bengali film, so the language was definitely a barrier for him. And how he overcame these struggles was a learning experience for me. I think one can be a great actor when he is a good co-actor. I have seen that quality in Sanjay ji.
How was it working with director Pritha Chakraborty?
When I was first approached, one of the main reasons to say yes to Phera was because of Pritha. I have worked with her on a different project which hasn’t been released yet. That’s when I first encountered Pritha as a director. I liked the way she works—the way she sees and understands cinema. So I wanted to work with her again.
Did Phera change the way you think about success or ageing in any personal sense?
I have never really thought so much about either success or growing old. I have never had any expectations, and I think that is why I am doing well in life. I always knew I wanted to become an actor, so I never worried about my age. All I know is that I need to become as many characters as I can. Last December, I was a hero, a supporting actor, and a villain in three different films. I will keep doing my work without worrying about these things.