Prosenjit on his ‘Chokher Bali’ co-star Aishwarya Rai Bachchan: She’s a great actor but above all a nice human being

They had shared the screen together in Rituparno Ghosh directed ‘

Chokher Bali

’ which received both critical acclaim and commercial success in 2003. Prosenjit Chatterjee and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan’s on-screen chemistry was applauded by all in the film. On the former Miss World’s birthday today, Tollywood superstar Prosenjit exclusively shares with Etimes his experience of working with the Bollywood diva.

“When Aishwarya was signed for Ritu’s (Rituparno Ghosh) ‘Chokher Bali’ she had already become a big name in the industry. But interestingly, she accommodated herself so smoothly and nicely with all the cast and crew of the film that it was a learning experience for many. We instantly knew how down to earth she is. That was really commendable. I still cherish the shooting memories. She is a great actor but above all a nice human being,” said prosenjit adding that this film became a milestone in his career.

In ‘Chokher Bali’, based on Rabindranath Tagore’s novel of the same name, Prosenjit played the self-obsessed, complex character, Mahendra and his deft portrayal fetched him accolades. The film also had Tota Roy Chowdhury and Raima Sen in key roles. The plot weaves around a widow Binodini’s mental growth. Aishwarya playing Binodini gave a commendable performance. You can also relate to all the shades of traditions that suppress a woman’s sexuality and the unique bonding between two women which stand still against all odds and prevents things from falling apart.

Speaking about the abundance of Bollywood stars in Rituparno Ghosh's film's Prosenjit says his films were heavily populated with Bollywood stars because there's was something in the late director's scripts. "From Manisha to Bipasha, from Amitabh to Aishwarya, his cast included the who’s who from the shores of the Arabian Sea. What was even more interesting was that he made sure that all of them actually came down to Kolkata to shoot in his movie. Rituparno imported talent or he gave a feeling that national talents wanted to be inhabit Rituparno’s movies."