Exclusive! Abir Chatterjee: I can’t take the success of Sonada for granted and I strive to better it

Dhrubo Banerjee’s Karnasubarner Guptodhon is one of the biggest releases this Puja. After two hit films from the Guptodhon franchise, the team – Abir Chatterjee, Arjun Chakrabarty, and Ishaa Saha – left no stone unturned to promote the film. In an exclusive chat with OTTplay, Abir talks about his nervousness before release and a lot more. Read on…

Do you feel nervous before release?

Yes, I get very tense and I see it as a good sign. My grandmother used to say that you can only be tense if you are deeply attached to it.

But Sonada is a hit franchise…

A ‘sure shot hit formula’ doesn’t exist. We can’t take the success of two previous films for granted. As a team, we constantly try not to succumb to complacency. That’s why we all have taken up this rigorous schedule of promotions before the release.

But there is a fandom of Sonaada…

Yes and that’s why it works the other way round. The expectation from a Sonada film is very high. We aim to take this film to a newer height. We want to bring more viewers to the theatres. It is imminent now. The viewing pattern has changed due to the pandemic. Now is the time to bring the audience back to the theatre. It is a film that needs to be enjoyed on the big screen.

You are a regular face in several franchises, including Byomkesh and Sonada. As an actor, how do you bring variation to the character?

I believe consistency is the key. Every time the character evolves and I evolve with it. It takes time and experience. Unlike Byomkesh, Sonada doesn’t have a literary background. People don't know him the way they know Sharadindu Bandyopadhyay’s sleuth. Hence, the work was more to establish him as a convincing character.

Independent character or a character from a franchise – which one do you enjoy more?

Both, actually. Both types have challenges of their own. In the case of the franchises, there is a ready reference of Byomkesh but for Sonada, it is our call to decide how he would react. I constantly work so that none of the traits become a habit for the character. Independent character has the charm of developing the arc. People often question my decision to work in a franchise. I don’t get bothered.

Many films are released at the same time. Does Sonada feel the pressure?

This is the festive time. It is one of the grandest holidays and people will go to watch films. It is obvious that several films will be released because the producers will want to encash the time. My maths is simple. If 100 people would go to watch one film in the case of a single release, more than 100 people will go to the theatres in case of multiple releases. That will be good for the Bengali film industry. And after the backlog of the pandemic, it is too much to ask for if you are wishing for one release a week. Also, it is good to have competition,

Tell us, what are your Puja plans?

When you have a film releasing before Puja, you can never fix your plan. There is this release and generally, I get branding and endorsement during Puja. I was so bogged down with work that I almost worked like a machine. I really want every one of us to get so busy this year that they have no regret of missing everything in the last two years. The pandemic did not let us work even when we desperately wanted to. This year should make it up for that. I will spend my time with my family and friends. I got new dresses from the people in my family. I also gifted them new stuff.

If you have to defeat Mahishasur this year, what would that be?

For the last two years, we all prayed that the coronavirus Mahishasur gets defeated. This year I want the rain to be defeated. People are going all out for this Puja after two years. Rain shouldn’t spoil the fun.