Soumitra Chatterjee’s Apur Sansar had a huge impact on me: Namit Das

Namit Das is in Kolkata for a shoot once again. And for the last few days, the actor has been exploring the city’s cultural heritage. In a candid chat with CT, Namit spoke about his love for Kolkata, the importance of addressing mental health issues affecting men, polarisation of Bollywood and more. Excerpts:

During this time of the year, the weather in Kolkata is just perfect.I love this city because as you go deeper, you will understand its history and rich culture. I have a genuine interest in history. That’s the reason I keep coming back to Kolkata. It is also like getting back to my roots, as you know I am half Bengali (and half Punjabi).

It’s been a great experience. How can one describe working with a legend? I can only say I have learnt so much and I am still learning. The best thing about working with Mira is that everything becomes an unending conversation. She has such a big vision of the world.

You can stay away from it if you want to. About polarisation, it is not just Bollywood. The world seems to go through a time, in which everything exists in two contrasting thoughts. The centre is missing. I think that is the challenge. It is like if I don’t agree with you, I’m against you. This idea scares me. If I put Bollywood in perspective, it is actually a very tough time. Social media has revealed the violent nature of human beings. Now, we know that people can be very cruel. It is great that you have an opinion and you can put it across in words on social media. But I don’t like the violence. I might have an opinion that is different from you but that doesn’t mean I should not exist. The ethos of our country used to respect each other’s differences. I think that is hugely challenged somewhere. And Bollywood hasn’t been spared. Everyone in the industry has to face it. I think resilience is the key. Sometimes silence is loud enough.

Soumitra Chatterjee had a huge influence on me as an actor. I never got an opportunity to meet Soumitrada. Every time I think about it, my heart feels heavy. His performances in Charulata and Apur Sansar had a huge impact on me, not just as an artiste but also as a human being. Whenever I have doubts, I go back to the last sequence in Apur Sansar. That image reflects so much of hope and humanity.

Addressing mental health issues is anyway difficult, especially for men. The ‘macho’ traits, like ‘I don’t cry’ and ‘I ought to be strong’, need to be addressed. Vulnerability is what makes us human. And if we accept this vulnerability, it will help us become more comfortable. Our industry is a very difficult place to exist. It looks all hunky-dory and glamorous from outside, but behind all those beautiful Instagram posts, there’s a lot of suffering and hard work. Your private life is not very private. These are not easy to handle. When there is no work, no one wants to talk about you. I think it is important that we talk about mental health in this scenario. Human beings need each other and we are forgetting that.