Celebrities reveal their 3 am friends

Most-cherished, lifelong, twin souls, BFF — there are several adjectives to describe the unique bond shared by buddies. But what remains universal is the heart-warming nature of every friendship. Thanks to social media, many have started flaunting their friendship goals online. However, only those who stick around for years, know every big or small detail of your life and listen to our ramblings at odd hours.They are the ones who qualify as 3 am friends. Such bonds are rare and often kept away from the glare of social media. No wonder then, we are not familiar with the people who hold this precious place in the lives of our celebrities. On Friendship Day, Kolkata’s celebrities across walks of life reveal their closest friends to CT. Read on...
‘He knows my deepest secrets and guards them well’
I feel extremely lucky to have a friend like Dibyendu Dey. He is a dancer and makeup artist. He has many other talents too. If there’s someone I can completely rely on beyond my parents and immediate family, it’s him. Till date, there has not been a single instance when he has not answered my call. He knows my
deepest secrets and guards them well. We travel together and people link us up but we don’t care. When I lost my mother in 2014, I also went through a bad breakup. He helped me fight depression and was by my side throughout. He loves to see me happy, just like my parents and my other best friend, which is my sister, Moon!
— Iman Chakraborty, singer
‘With him, I can be myself without wearing a mask’

Abhijit (Chanda) is my 3 am friend and with him I can be myself without wearing a mask. I remember when my sister’s marriage was fixed, I had called Abhijit at midnight. I’m extremely attached to her and the very thought of not being able to share the same house and bed with her made me cry. I shared all this with Abhijit. We kept on talking late into the night and suddenly my doorbell rang. It was him! On realising I was depressed, he ran to my place without wasting any time. Such is our friendship and bonding. He is well aware that I am also there for him at any time of the day, no matter what. From my deepest secrets to my confessions, he is the one I bank on!
— Tnusree Chakraborty, film actress
‘We are like two sides of the same coin’

My 3 am friend has been my buddy since Class X. People say Shubayan (Bhoumik) and I are like two sides of the same coin. And we both agree. He’s a part of my system and I can call him my anytime friend. There are times when I am busy and unavailable to my family. So, they reach out to him for suggestions before taking a decision on any matter on my behalf. For the last 22 years, my bond with Shubayan has gone from strength to strength. But neither do we express nor do we profess our love for each other. Deep down, we know we are there for each other. We also have a WhatsApp group of four friends. Though we are always joking and pulling each other’s leg there, it is only out of sheer love and friendship.
— Abir Chatterjee, film actor
‘I keep bothering them with my problems’

Childhood friends are the best. I have two such very close pals, Somnath Ghosh and Payel. They are not just my 3 am friends but also my lifelines. I met them while playing table tennis. Somnath is now settled in Hyderabad, where he coaches young table tennis players. Payel is married and lives in the US. Even if they were living in some other planet, we’d always be in touch. I bother them a lot day in and day out with my personal and professional problems. Somnath is also a dear friend of my husband, Soumyadeep Roy. Our children are also best of friends. So, our meet-ups are like a family affair. My husband is also my buddy but with Somnath I can even complain about my hubby! Since we share a passion for table tennis, he helps me before every important match. I just have to speak to him when I have sleepless nights before matches.
— Poulomi Ghatak, table tennis player
‘My young friends have always supported me’

These days staying in touch with school friends is mostly possible through WhatsApp. But in the past five years, I have had the privilege to make some young friends who have stayed by my side. It’s the old theatre group of ours where a band of bright, young minds have joined. In today’s times, every exchange is made financial in nature. But these young friends of mine have always supported me unconditionally. Though they address me as sir, we are all like a huge group of friends. I can bank on Rahul, Rajat, Ruma, Somrashmi, Moumita, Monalisa, Ruma, Sushovon, Amitavo, Tarun, Parikkhit, Pinaki, Krishnendu and a lot of others anytime of the day.
— Sujan Mukhopadhyay, theatre personality
‘Her calm and positive vibes make me so comfortable’

I don’t know her for years, but in the last few months, Shreyashi (Banerjee) has become by bestie. Her calm and positive vibes make me so comfortable. She will not judge you and love you unconditionally. I remember I had put up a status on my father’s death anniversary. On seeing it, she gave me a call late at night and I broke down speaking to her. I could share my childhood stories with her. Talking to her helped me feel better. It was dawn by the time we finally hung up! That was the day I realised what she meant to me.
— Oindrila Sen, TV actress