Tota Roy Choudhury and Abir Chatterjee on Srijit Mukherji’s Emperor vs Sarat Chandra and the need for real-life heroes

Tota: I can say that my preparation started right after a conversation with Srijit Mukherji. Initially, I wasn’t convinced that I could do such a difficult and complex character. But Srijit was convinced that I could. So, I asked him about his thoughts. He had a specific image and a specific performance in mind. So, I revisited the story and sat with the script. For me, a film’s script is like a map and I follow that. I am strictly a director’s actor.

Abir: Sabyasachi is truly a superhero, and just like Tota said, I also left it to Srijit to envision Sabyasachi. Srijit is one of the filmmakers who have offered me different roles. In Sabyasachi, we see the shadow of many revolutionaries who had impressed Sarat during his time. The character can speak eight to 10 languages, has so many degrees in various subjects, and travels across the world to gain support from allies in India’s struggle for freedom. Their responsibility and love for the country are incredible, and we are so lucky to have had real-life superheroes who fought for our country so we can live freely and in peace. They sacrificed their lives for the liberty we enjoy today. About this particular character, I think most Bengalis have an idea of who Sabyasachi is since a small part of his story was part of our school syllabus. What I found interesting about Srijit’s Emperor Vs Sarat Chandra was the structure and how he created a parallel world.

Tota: See, my homework to be a good actor was done under the tutelage of the late Rituparno Ghosh many years ago. He used to say that more than what’s in an actor’s head, it’s important how the director visualises the film and the characters. So, I always try to understand the director’s vision and do what he guides me to do. Because ultimately, we are all here to fulfil the director‘s vision. I had to be especially detached in this case to ensure that I played the role correctly according to history.

Abir: While shooting, I remembered playing a similar fictional character, detective Dipak Chatterjee in the film Shri Swapankumarer Badami Hyenar Kobole, based on Swapan Kumar’s novels. There too, the writer and his creation came face to face and interacted. Dipak, too, was ambidextrous and had superhero qualities. When I do a film based on a novel, I consciously don’t read the novel, or if I had read it before, I don’t try to recall it. I try to play the character the way the director has imagined it. That brings newness to the role too. Sabyasachi was a master in concealing identity, and in this film too I had seven to eight looks. Each time my looks changed with prosthetic makeup, it also affected me as an actor.

Tota: I feel we don’t focus on the right individuals. We look for heroes in the wrong places, while they are among us. What does a hero mean to us? Is he a political leader? A celluloid actor? A cricketer? We are searching in the wrong places. We don’t look beyond fame to find a true hero. What about the guy who took on the task of keeping the river clean? The media also plays a role to some extent because they focus on non-essential things rather than highlighting the true heroes who go against the tide to do something meaningful. They get pushed to the fifth page rather than being played up on the front page. The ecosystem, too, has become so corrupt that infamy has become fame now. The true heroes may be fewer in number, but they are still there. We no longer condemn wrongdoing; infamy is new fame. Maybe we are not looking at the right places for the right people.

Abir: I think this is our collective responsibility. We get what we deserve. Some selfless people still go out of their comfort zone for the greater good. That’s why the balance is still there. Teachers still walk 14 kilometres to school every day in remote areas to teach even if there are only two students in the class. But we tend to forget them or celebrate them. Especially in the age of social media and information overload, everything seems to get lost in a maze of news before making an impact.

Tota: Yes, we have absolutely failed them. If they saw us this way, they might even regret fighting for independence. Freedom fighters like Subhash Chandra Bose could have easily spent their lives in the lap of luxury, working as a top bureaucrat. But giants like him didn’t choose a comfortable life. They sacrificed everything for an independent and better India. But they would have been so disappointed to see what we have done to the country.

Abir: Also, violence isn’t only physical. The words we choose to attack each other over trivial differences sometimes cross every limit of civility. Trolling at times is worse than physical violence and we are so quick to judge each other without knowing what situation the other person is in. We increasingly lack sympathy and empathy. It is our instinct to attack someone. Somewhere, we have to keep trying to be a better man.

Tota: Vivekananda and Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose. Vivekananda would have shown us the path of true spirituality and Netaji would have shown us how to take the country forward in the right direction of growth, without being driven by selfish interests.

Abir: I would have loved it if Tagore could have come back again. If that’s not possible, we could still become better human beings if we revisited his writings and delved deep into his philosophies and ideologies. It would definitely have helped us imbibe better values that are so lacking today..