"Playing a psychologist whose life gets affected after his first patient's death by suicide was never easy," says Vikram Chatterjee on Roktokorobi

With back-to-back movies and OTT projects in his kitty, Vikram Chatterjee is currently one of the most sought-after artists of T'town. While his ripped physique and physical transformation became the talk of the town, his new projects also are making quite a buzz among fans. One of Vikram’s new launches, ‘Roktokorobi’, features him in the role of a psychologist whose life gets topsy-turvy after his first patient dies by suicide. It has a stellar star cast including Raima Sen, Laboni Sarkar, Shantilal Mukherjee, Rooqma Ray, Angana Roy, Priyanka Bhattacharjee, and many others. In an exclusive chat with ETimes TV, Vikram talks about the series, what makes it interesting, his bond with co-stars, and more. Read on… (Photo: Facebook)

Vikram is essaying Satyaki, a psychologist, in the web series. When asked about the experience, he said, "We had a very hectic shoot schedule. I was emotionally drained out. Roktokorobi deals with a performance-driven subject. The shoot was completed within a very short time. These days, Bengali movies and web series are shot in a short span of time which causes a lot of pressure. We sensed it more during Roktokorobi because we all felt the urge to perform our best in each scene and the characters were so beautifully created that we felt the urge even more. Not just mine but every single character has been sketched beautifully. See, we actors are greedy because, once we get the chance to perform, we always try to give our best. And that’s exactly what happened." (Photo: Facebook)

Vikram promises that 'Roktokorobi' would keep the audiences glued to the screen. "Mystery and family-drama both genres have their own loyal fan-base. And Roktokorobi is a psychological thriller that beautifully blends family-drama into its story. It has a gripping tale to tell and I am hopeful that the audience will like it," he says.

The death of his/her patient leaves a doctor disturbed, no doubt. And if a patient dies by suicide just like what happened with Satyaki, who is in the initial phase of his career, then, it is more difficult to deal with. His very first patient dies by suicide and the incident affects his confidence. Satyaki has been excellent at academics and everyone, including his seniors, professors and family members, expects a lot from him. When a guy like him faces such a failure at the beginning of his career, it’s quite evident that it would shake him from inside. The suicide of his patient forces Satyaki to question himself. He starts feeling bewildered and seeks the support of his family. Incidentally, he finds out a secret about his family. The more he tries to solve the mystery, the more he gets entangled. Whether he tries to demystify it, whether his family helps him or his life gets topsy-turvy, is what makes ''Roktokorobi' more interesting.

Vikram had put quite some effort to get into Satyaki's skin and portray the situation he was facing. "It was indeed difficult for me to get under the skin of the character and I had to prepare a lot. Sahana Di, who created this web series and Sohag Di, who trained me and Raima during the workshops, were really helpful. They helped me to get under the skin of Satyaki’s character," says Vikram (Photo: Facebook)

"It’s my second work with Raima. Years back, we did 'Ami ar amar Girlfriends' but we didn’t share the screen. She is one of the coolest people I have ever met. She is always chilled out and I haven’t seen anyone like her, especially someone who has worked for so many years and worked with such renowned directors. The only thing is, I am very serious and hardly talk when I work and Raima is just the opposite. She keeps pulling others’ legs. She is an absolute prankster. At times, I couldn’t think how I should handle her pranks (laughs). But it’s an absolute pleasure working with her and I would love to work with her again," Vikram said. (Photo: Facebook)

Not just in 'Roktokorobi' but, in a number of television shows too, Vikram has worked with senior artist Laboni. "I have worked with Labu di (Laboni Sarkar) in various projects and many-a-time, we played son and mom duo on-screen. So, I share an amazing chemistry with her both on-screen and off-screen. I love her very much, I keep teasing her and bother a lot too (laughs). But she is a darling to me," she adds. (Photo: Facebook)

"I am an absolute cinema lover. The very reason I wanted to be an actor is because I fell in love with cinema at a young age. I love to watch good films, good movies and web series. I just finished a recently released series by Bhuvan Bam, I loved 'Doctor House'. I also watched the South Indian movie ‘Love Today’ and it’s a brilliant film. I watched 'Projapoti' which I liked too. There are different genres that I love watching. I love watching movies or web series whenever I get time and I can never get bored," Vikram narrates. (Photo: Facebook)

Vikram has been giving Bengali small screen a miss. "Many of my projects that are really close to my heart were on television. It’s a medium that enjoys a huge reach and the primary source of entertainment for many. Honestly, to me it’s good work and a meaty character that matters and I never thought about which medium it is," he says.

"It has been a completely different experience altogether. I co-hosted it with Ankush and we share a crackling chemistry in real-life which I think got reflected on-screen too. Initially, I was a bit concerned because hosting a reality show isn’t an easy job but things fell into place and I thoroughly enjoyed it," he shares.

Vikram says, "He is an amazing person. He is down-to-earth, humble and full of life. I will always cherish this experience."