February 01, 2026 01:03 am (IST)
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Preparation for a complex role more hyped in Hollywood: Saswata 'Bob Biswas'
Kolkata, Nov 29 IBNS) Bengali actor Saswata Chatterjee, who won hearts of the national audience with his portrayal of a cold-blooded hired assassin masquerading as a common man who melts in the crowd in Kahaani, has regrets but again no regrets being the usual cool-as-casual self.
Not attempting to hide his sense of hurt for lack of recognition to the serious preparations that go behind layered roles in different films, critically acclaimed or not, the "Nilkantho Bagchi. a.k.a Ritwik Ghatak", in "Meghe Dhaka Tara" tells IBNS: "In Hollywood an actor starts preparing one year before a shoot and that gets duly covered and publicised. We are poorer souls."
Explaining the difference, he says, "In Bengal we take preparations for the same type of complex role for over a month. There is no luxury like Hollywood. For many films we get just flat 15 days to bring out the complexities of character but that seldom gets hyped."
"We gain or lose weight and we practise the lines for bringing to life one character alive. But we never think about cashing on that," says Saswata, who had lost weight in Ebar Shabor as a fit-as-fiddle intelligence bureau cop and again became a pot-bellied para saloon owner mimicking Rajesh Khanna of the 70s in Monchuri.
Turning to his struggle, and every actor's struggle Saswata draws parallels with a child on road who becomes a better fighter, equipped to face the odds in life.
"Street children are most immune to adversities. They have the resilience and it is the same as Bengali film actors like me. We have come this far after defeating adversities. It helped me to become tougher mentally," Saswata, having portrayed the role of cool and cunning Bob Biswas in Sujoy Ghosh's Kahaani, said.
Referring to the truth about lack of infrastructure in Bengali films and other constraints, Saswata says, "Still creative people from Bengal are all over there in the Mumbai industry."
"Look at any moment. You will find, Bengali directors are reigning in Mumbai. Look at Sujoy (Ghosh) and others," he says.
Saswata, who wanted to leave behind Bob Biswas, points out he did several films after Kahaani which also included the gritty sleuth's role in a mainstream thriller like Ebar Shabor by Arindam Sil.
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