Suhel Seth debuts in Bengali cinema in gangster film 'Senapati'

"I haven’t seen any Bengali films, excepting the ones by Mrinal Sen,  Satyajit Ray, in past several years. I haven't seen much Hindi films either. In fact I haven't tracked the journey of Hindi-Bengali films in recent years. But still I acted in some Hindi movies," Suhel tells IBNS at a promotional of the gangster film directed by Arnab (Ringo) Banerjee.

"I found the script of  Senapati good. It is on par with the nuance, ethoes, culture and craft of Bengal, which one can feel whenever one comes to this place. And I liked the character," Suhel says about the character Max Wheeler - an undercover FBI agent, in the film.

Asked about the reason behind him not doing any Bengali film in past so many years, Suhel, having acted in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Guzaarish and Zoya Akhtar’s Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, says, "Nobody from here had invited me in past."

Suhel, who asserts Kolkata is the best city in the world being the most civilised and cultured, however regrets that the glorious English theatre tradition of the city is dead now.

"Drama is my first love and I spent my early years in Kolkata. But sadly the English theatre traditions in this city is no more alive today. It is dead now," he says.

“I needed someone who has the attitude and swagger and Suhel is the only and ultimate choice. He was a revelation in first day's shooting," Ringo says.

Besides Suhel,  who had also portrayed a business tycoon modelled on Vijay Mallya's character in Madhur Bhandarkar’s Calendar Girls, Parambrata Chatterjee and Riya Dev Sen are the other pivotal characrters in Senapati which shows how underworld swings the political pendulum of a state.

Image: twitter.com/suhelseth