Exclusive! Ankush: Let’s admit that we took our audience for granted and failed to offer good commercial films

After his long Europe trip with his girlfriend Oindrila Sen, Ankush got back to work. The actor is gearing up to debut as a producer with his gangster film Mirza. Along with Dibyendu Bhattacharya, he hosted a press conference to reveal the badman and other details of Mirza. The film will go to the floors in mid-December and is slated to release in 2023. In an exclusive chat with OTTplay, the actor opens up about the failure of mainstream commercial films in Tollywood, his views on OTT, and his chemistry with Oindrila. Read on…

How was your trip to Europe?

It was very nice. It was a long 17 days and we went to Paris, Switzerland, and Italy. We enjoyed it a lot.

Now that you are back to work, tell us about Mirza…

It is an action-packed gangster film. I cannot reveal much about it but I can assure you that most of the characters in this film are grey. There is no black or white character. It is a hardcore action-packed commercial film.

What are the scopes of such hardcore action-packed commercial films in the Bengali film industry? We barely get to see any such films these days…

First thing first, we will have to admit our mistakes. Let’s admit that we took our audience for granted and failed to offer good commercial films. We have failed to make a hardcore action-packed commercial film that will match the industry standard. With the popularity of Pusha and KGF, it is established that viewers love such films. When such films came here in Bengal, our viewers queued up to watch those films. So no point in claiming that there is no market for such films. Audiences don’t discriminate between action, drama, and thriller. If you give them a good film they will watch it. Also, with the emergence of OTT platforms, our audience got a taste of very fine content. Hence, the makers cannot afford to take the audience for granted and make half-baked action films. So, we must make good films so that when our viewers compare them with films from other regions, they don’t feel cheated. In recent days, Jeet’s Ravaan is a good action film and it also did good business. If we can make a sensible good film, people will love it.

So will Mirza be one such film?

We are trying to make it as sharp as possible. Right now we have focussed on writing. We are leaving out every stereotypical trope of an action thriller. This is a larger-than-life film. The audience doesn’t need to relate to the film. We want them to celebrate a larger-than-life film.

Do you think the Bengali film industry is falling short of successful commercial cinema?

It is very important to have a robust commercial film industry. Superstars are made out of larger-than-life commercial films. I am a child of mainstream commercial films. When I first stepped into the industry, people started telling me that I dance well. Now I almost forgot which was the last film I danced in. It is heartbreaking. It is heartbreaking to see that my audiences don’t whistle in the cinema halls anymore. Look, the language of commercial films has changed. We have seen that on several occasions, the first film of a franchise did well at the box office but the second one failed to impress. It is because people have started watching very good content on OTT. Your films need to change accordingly. I repeat you cannot take your audience for granted.

Do you think OTT is calling the shots?

Of course. Most of the series are getting a bigger budget than many films. A nine-hour-long series is drawing its viewers into it easily. Even the OTT original films are telling different stories.

What is your plan with respect to OTTs?

I will debut with Zee5’s Shikarpur. I am very open to OTT work. According to many people, OTT is not as prestigious as big-screen films. I differ. I am an artiste and I want people to watch my work – be it in cinemas or on OTTplatforms. I don't care where but what I can offer them. I anchored and judged TV reality shows also. I would love to work on OTT more extensively.

On a lighter note, when will you and Oindrila tie the knot?

(Laughs) Oindrila and I have been living together for a long time. Since we stay together and despite our work schedule, get to meet and spend time regularly, we forget the need of getting married. We spend a lot of time together anyway.

You and Oindrila have been in a relationship for a long time…

12 years.

What is the secret behind this chemistry?

We have accepted that we can’t live without each other. We argue, fight, and misunderstand but never feel like leaving each other. That is the trick. Many couples fight and then bring ego in. We don’t. We never think of giving up on each other. We respect each other’s work. Unlike many men, I have no such thing as my girlfriend becoming more popular than me. If god forbid I don’t get to work for months and years I will have no problem living my life being dependent on Oindrila. We just don’t have any space for ego between us.