Gaurav Chakraborty and Surangana Bandhopadhyay return in Nikosh Chhaya 2
Directed by Sanyantan Ghosal, Gaurav Chakraborty and Surangana Bandhopadhyay reprise their roles as Amio and Mitul in Nikosh Chhaya 2. The narrative begins exactly where Season 1 ended, giving momentum to the storyline. We speak to the two actors on working in the series, plans for Saraswati Pujo, and more.
Excerpts:
Surangana, you have always repeated that you are not a believer of the paranormal. And yet we have seen you in projects like Ballavpurer Roopkotha, Nishir Dak, Parnashavarir Shaap, Nikosh Chhaya 1 which are of that genre. How did this happen?
I think I’ll have to ask the director. These days I am getting mostly horror-genre related projects. I don’t have a problem with that. I’m still getting to play different characters and have fun with this genre which I love. This is probably because at this moment there is a rise in horror related projects. And I feel fortunate also that in this genre, some directors are placing their trust in me. But I hope in the future I will be able to work in different kinds of genres and characters. But, yes this is interesting that even though I am not a believer, I am still working in this genre. That’s the fun part of being an actor where we play different characters without facing their consequences; or not having to believe what the character believes, but we still portray them with as much conviction as we can.
Gaurav, what attracts you to the thriller genre?
To be very honest, it’s not dependent on the actor. It’s the kind of projects that come your way. You can’t really curate that because it’s the directors and producers who think of you in a certain way. When a certain character is cast your face probably comes to their mind. That is where probably typecasting happens. Your job is to make sure that you intersperse it with other kinds of roles so that it doesn’t reflect in the minds of the audience. It’s the job of an actor to agree to do them or not. It’s not that I want to do thriller or horror primarily, but those kinds of projects are being made and offered to me.
If you would like to experiment with other genres, what would they be and why?
Gaurav: I think I am very suited for love stories. But unfortunately they are not really made nowadays. Another genre I would love to see myself in is Comedy. It’s all about timing. I have done it on stage and few films. But then those films have not become very popular. I did a film called Bhoot Chakra Private Limited by Haranath Chakraborty where I had an out and out comic role and I had a whale of a time. So, if comedy is offered to me, I’ll be very happy.
Surangana: I’ll be happy to be a part of any genre. But when it comes to a character, I would love to play a character that is not the sweet girl or the goody two shoes. It is because I look a certain way, that even though the character is strong, pretty, independent, at the end of the day, she’s the goody two shoes. I want to play a character that’s something different so that even I can believe in myself that I can play different characters. This stems from my creative curiosity where I would want to see what more I can do.
How does Sayantan Ghosal approach the narrative differently?
Surangana: Since this was conceptualised by Parambrata Chattopadhyay, his inputs in terms of acting were more. Sayantan da has made sure that the look, feel and vision of the series remains the same, since he continues it exactly from where Nikosh Chhaya 1 ended. As a viewer, you won’t feel that the series has been directed by another director.
Gaurav: Sayantan’s strong point is his grasp over the technique. He was very clear of what he wanted from the actors and crisply briefed us about the same.
If you are trapped in a haunted house, who would you make a phone call to (apart from cast and crew)?
Gaurav: I will call Ridhima and share my experience with her. I have never had any supernatural experiences. But she has had a few experiences.
Surangana: I will call Riddhi and ask him to come over and experience the same thing that I am experiencing.
How do you take care of yourself amidst long hours of shooting?
Gaurav: I believe you have to spend the time that you are not working, by taking care of your health. While you are working you can’t really take care of sleep timings or what you eat.
Surangana: It’s also our responsibility to take care of ourselves. Say, I have a show tomorrow; I need to be in my best so that the whole team doesn’t suffer.
Why bring Nikosh Chhaya on Saraswati Pujo or Bengali Valentine’s Day?
Gaurav: Just like we can watch a love story on Bhoot Chaturdoshi, we can watch a horror story on Saraswati Pujo. It is a holiday for everyone. One can spend the day worshipping Saraswati Thakur and get back and in the evening and watch Nikosh Chhaya. That’s the intent.
Surangana: In Nikosh Chhaya 2, love is a very important factor. It changes the whole graph of the narrative.
Gaurav, Is Dheer keeping his books in front of the idol?
He hasn’t developed that understanding yet. But this year we have plans of having his Haate Khori. He is very young and we read out to him from books now and he enjoys that a lot.
Surangana, tell us about the painter in you.
I love painting and that’s something I do for myself. I like experimenting. I fell in love with dry pastel and started with portraits, followed by water colours, oil paints and now I love acrylic.
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