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Buddhadeb Dasgupta had wanted a young Soumitra Chatterjee to play the male lead role in Janala.
Numerous meetings with various actors later, the director has now zeroed in on model-turned-actor Indraneil Sengupta. This Mumbai-based actor, who plays the lead in Doli Saja Ke, will be in town shortly to sign the film.
"There is something about his eyes that I like. He has the right mix of intelligence and innocence in his face," insists Dasgupta. What's come as a bit of surprise is that Indraneil has almost no exposure to Bengali cinema. Unlike many others who would be ashamed with his limited exposure to Bengali classics, Indraneil was very forthright in admitting the truth. "Having grown up in Ahmedabad, my exposure to Bengali films was almost zero. As a child, I remember humming songs like Ei poth jodi na shesh hoi and Ki ashaye badhi khelaghor. The last Bengali film I saw was in school. Of course, I knew of Buddhada. Unfortunately, I hadn't watched any of his films or even those of Ray. I decided not to hide that fact when I first met him in Mumbai. I was pleasantly surprised on being told that my face has some qualities that resembles a young Soumitra Chatterjee," says the actor, whose modelling repertoire includes ads for Tata Indigo Marina car, VIP Frenchie and Aquafina.
Understandably his spoken Bengali is not very fluent. "Amar baba ma Ahmedabad e thaaken. Ei shohor e amar kono Bangali bondhu nei," he says in Bangla, adding, "I can read printed Bangla. Buddhada was kind enough to send me DVDs of Ray's Charulata and Apur Sansar and his Charachar, Mondo Meyer Upakhyan and Tahader Katha. I'll watch all the films before the week is over," says this actor, who made his big screen debut with Mumbai Salsa, apart from Shukriya.
His family, including actor wife Barkha Bisht, is thrilled with the news. "Initially, my dad was very disappointed when he heard that it was difficult for me to adjust my dates. Fortunately, the moment my unit heard that I had been cast by Buddhada, they adjusted my schedule," says the actor, who has done music videos for Jagjit Singh and Falguni Pathak.
As for preparing for the role, Indraneil has been asked not to cut his hair and retain his stubble for the role of a teacher who gifts a window to his old school. "Buddhada has also taught me a simple asana and asked me to practice yoga every morning. Ota korle ekta sarolyo ashe cheharar moddhye. In the glamour industry, we appear like cool dudes. But the innocence on the face remains once one peels off the paraphernalia associated with the glamour world," he says, while divulging that he is the surprise package in Vikram Bhatt's next. Shooting for Janala will begin on September 9. As a parting shot, Indraneil says, "I accept this as a lifetime opportunity."
Numerous meetings with various actors later, the director has now zeroed in on model-turned-actor Indraneil Sengupta. This Mumbai-based actor, who plays the lead in Doli Saja Ke, will be in town shortly to sign the film.
"There is something about his eyes that I like. He has the right mix of intelligence and innocence in his face," insists Dasgupta. What's come as a bit of surprise is that Indraneil has almost no exposure to Bengali cinema. Unlike many others who would be ashamed with his limited exposure to Bengali classics, Indraneil was very forthright in admitting the truth. "Having grown up in Ahmedabad, my exposure to Bengali films was almost zero. As a child, I remember humming songs like Ei poth jodi na shesh hoi and Ki ashaye badhi khelaghor. The last Bengali film I saw was in school. Of course, I knew of Buddhada. Unfortunately, I hadn't watched any of his films or even those of Ray. I decided not to hide that fact when I first met him in Mumbai. I was pleasantly surprised on being told that my face has some qualities that resembles a young Soumitra Chatterjee," says the actor, whose modelling repertoire includes ads for Tata Indigo Marina car, VIP Frenchie and Aquafina.
Understandably his spoken Bengali is not very fluent. "Amar baba ma Ahmedabad e thaaken. Ei shohor e amar kono Bangali bondhu nei," he says in Bangla, adding, "I can read printed Bangla. Buddhada was kind enough to send me DVDs of Ray's Charulata and Apur Sansar and his Charachar, Mondo Meyer Upakhyan and Tahader Katha. I'll watch all the films before the week is over," says this actor, who made his big screen debut with Mumbai Salsa, apart from Shukriya.
His family, including actor wife Barkha Bisht, is thrilled with the news. "Initially, my dad was very disappointed when he heard that it was difficult for me to adjust my dates. Fortunately, the moment my unit heard that I had been cast by Buddhada, they adjusted my schedule," says the actor, who has done music videos for Jagjit Singh and Falguni Pathak.
As for preparing for the role, Indraneil has been asked not to cut his hair and retain his stubble for the role of a teacher who gifts a window to his old school. "Buddhada has also taught me a simple asana and asked me to practice yoga every morning. Ota korle ekta sarolyo ashe cheharar moddhye. In the glamour industry, we appear like cool dudes. But the innocence on the face remains once one peels off the paraphernalia associated with the glamour world," he says, while divulging that he is the surprise package in Vikram Bhatt's next. Shooting for Janala will begin on September 9. As a parting shot, Indraneil says, "I accept this as a lifetime opportunity."
Indraneil Sengupta. (TOI Photo)
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