Atanu Ghosh remembers Soumitra Chatterjee on his birth anniversary

On Soumitra Chatterjee’s birth anniversary today, director Atanu Ghosh posted a picture of his with the late actor and wrote, “Just before the shot when the director briefed him one last time, the passion and energy for performance radiated on his face and myriad expressions played on them, from inner turmoil to intrigue, from sharp intensity to the playfulness of a child. Happy Birthday, my greatest hero! (sic)”
Talking about the actor, Atanu said, “No matter who I work with in future, he will forever be my greatest hero.”
Atanu had worked with the actor in four feature films — Angshumaner Chhobi, Mayurakshi, 72 Hours, Roopkatha Noy and two telefilms, Ankush and Asomapto.
Angshumaner Chhobi revolved around Angshuman, a young director who comes back from Italy after eight years, having studied cinema there, to make his first film. He puts up a determined fight against all obstacles to complete his film. While Mayurakshi is about father-son bonding.
What did he learn from the late actor, we ask the director? “Soumitrada taught me whatever you are trying to create as a work of art you must try to embed those things in the theories of life,” said Atanu. Talking about the late actor, Atanu added, “The spark to internalise things just before a shot was incredible — something I will remember forever. On September 30, when I took his interview, I asked Soumitrada what he does just before a shot, and he had said, ‘I talk to myself.’”