I’m happy doing Chaturanga: Subrat Dutta

doweshowbellyad=0; Subrat Dutta. (TOI Photo)You are literally living out of the suitcase...
Distance is hardly an issue today. It takes merely three hours to travel from Mumbai to Kolkata. For me, going to Baruipur on a daily basis for a Chaturanga shoot, requires greater grit than taking a flight to Kolkata.
And do you think that Bengali films are flying high?
Is it so? On the other hand, I think this industry is affected by some kind of incurable virus.Even if there���s some progress, it goes unnoticed. Some films like MLA Fatakeshto or Amar Protigya might be raking the moolah at the BO but they can���t be categorised as good ventures.
But that���s not keeping you away from being part of such ventures...
Yes, and I���m part of Suman Mukhopadhyay���s Chaturanga and at the same time, also doing Shankar Roy���s Sapta Sur. The two films are poles apart in terms of approach. But I believe that nothing goes to waste and every experience counts.
Given a choice, would you have opted for the play Chaturanga or the film Chaturanga?
Chaturanga, the film obviously. I treat every scene like an entire play. Before a scene is being shot, I get ample time to rehearse and take care of the detailing which wouldn���t have been the case in a play where you are expected to do a particular scene for a number of days. And considering how difficult it would have been in the case of Chaturanga, I���m happy doing the film.
Chaturanga is a period drama and is very different from what you have done so far. What was the kind of homework that was required for the role?
I had once read the novel though I had never imagined that I would be a part of it. When I got the offer for the role of Sachish, I had to read the novel all over again and this time, with triple the concentration. Also, on the sets, I used to keep my mobile switched off to keep my concentration intact. For a particular scene, I had to shed a lot of flab as I had to look skinny and ill.
But do you think that the play Chaturanga will work in favour of the film Chaturanga or will it be the other way round?
They are two separate ventures and I don���t think that the success or failure of one would effect the other. If that is the case, then the best example we can quote is that of the IPL matches. If a blockbuster releases on the day of an IPL match, then everybody would prefer to go for the match considering that it is the biggest entertainment of recent times.
You have also been testing the Bhojpuri and Hindi film waters. Will it be difficult creating an identity for yourself?
Not at all. I���m not an SRK who is a brand in himself. I���m yet to carve a niche in the industry. I consider myself as a growing actor who is learning by every individual experience. Whatever role I do, however insignificant it might be, I do it with all
conviction. At the end of the day, I want to leave an impression on the viewers��� mind.
Do you consider Ravi Kissen, the king of the Bhojpuri film industry, your competitor?
Not at all. I don���t do Ravi Kissen type of Bhojpuri films. Those films are too loud and don���t suit my persona. I don���t want be part of something which I would later repent. The Bhojpuri film, Pilot, that I was a part of, was directed by Rakesh Kumar and was very different from the usual Bhojpuri ventures.
But given a chance, would you do an out-an-out commercial Bhojpuri film?
Why not? But that should also fit my bill.
Do you think conventional good looks along with six packs are prerequisites for a successful actor?
Looks aren���t that important as it used to be five or 10 years back. Thanks to the multiplex audience, the choice is now for thoda hatke films.
You hail from a theatre background and now that you don���t have much time for the same, do you miss the stage?
My love for theatre is still intact but certainly, I���m in no mood for charity. I do professional theatre whenever I get time.
What do you consider your X-factor?
My acting talents and my eyes.
Where do you want to see yourself five years down the line?
Five years is a long time and I am clueless as to what I would be doing then. But by then, I surely want to be a part of some great Indian films specially made for the global audience. The kind of film that Mira Nair makes. She is my dream director.