Death a thought that never leaves an artist: Rahul Banerjee who plays convict sentenced to death in Mrityupathojatri

What was the brief given to you by the director?

Saumya (Sengupta) had mainly said the story was about the last 12 hours of a convict who is awarded the death penalty. It was enough to excite any actor. I believe this can be a dream project for any actor. 

What kind of research work did you undertake for the role?

Being a documentary maker, Saumya had a lot of access to study materials which helped me a lot. I do not follow method acting much as that generally becomes not feasible in our industry. But in this film, I had to follow method acting. I had boxed myself at home for 15 days, didn't speak to anyone, carried a depression within myself, contacted some correctional homes and reached out to some of my police officer friends. So I tried to make things work in all these ways.

What was the biggest challenge in portraying this role?

Carrying the depression within was the biggest challenge. I had to make the character seem like someone who is on the way to his death.

Your character, as shown in the trailer, is both physically and mentally desolate. We all get alone and desolate at some point of time in our lives. Did you draw cues from such moments?

Loneliness as an option and loneliness as a compulsion are two different things. So the loneliness in a condemned cell is entirely different. Sometimes we remain alone even in a crowd but that is way different. But my character, who knows his death is approaching, has been forced to be alone. So the fear factor is huge in my character. I wanted to grab his fear factor and depression, which are not the same as the normal loneliness.

What's your personal take on life and death?

Life is an accident while death is the reality. Death is certain.

Did you get your thought of death reignited while playing this role?

It never leaves me actually. I have had huge accidents in my life. I have seen deaths. Death is such a thought that it never leaves an artist. Death is a constant emotion for an artist who can never forget it. So it always looms around somewhere. But this film had brought me face-to-face with death. So I had to go to a psychiatrist to remove that slag and move on with my life after the filming ended.

How do you switch off from a character or a film?

Umm, usually a good book or a (web) series helps.

You have been a theatre artist as well as a television and film actor. With which platform do you connect the most?

We (actors) leave a part of ourselves in each of our works. I am reflected in some way or the other in all the characters. So each character I have so far played will remain with me. But my character in Mrityupathojatri will remain special because I had no support in this film. I had no scenic view or location or great co-actors. It was just all about me.

How are you managing television and films together?

I don't sleep (smiles). I love my work and I don't do (work in) political parties so I have only one thing to look out for and that is acting.

We are witnessing recurrent controversies regarding the screening of Bengali films in Nandan where the organisers are accused of bias towards projects involving actors or directors associated with the ruling TMC. What's your take?

This is very shameful and it is becoming like a club culture. Nandan is not anyone's personal property to keep. This kind of vindictiveness of not showing Anik-da's film and Srijit (Mukherji) being the primary director not getting shows in Nandan is utterly disgraceful. I condemn it.

(Images by Avishek Mitra/IBNS)