Exclusive! Chanchal Chowdhury on working in Tollywood: In Bangladesh, we cannot work on a film within just a month

When it comes to selecting a work, Bangladeshi actor Chanchal Chowdhury is known to be very selective. Despite his popularity in Bengal, he has only worked in one film, Goutam Ghose’s Moner Manush. His film Hawa has caught Kolkata’s cine lovers in a frenzy. His Hoichoi series Karagar has also become a sensational hit on the OTT platform. His other web series Contract is streaming on Zee5. Despite the soaring fame, the actor maintains that he could only agree to do a project if he likes it. 

Elaborating on his selection process, he said, “In Bangladesh, I asked the makers to send me the synopsis. If I like it, I enquire about the director, DOP, etc. If everything goes right, I ask for the script and then the final words take place. In Bangladesh, we usually take a long time to work on a project. That’s the system there.”

Talking about why he is not seen in Indian/ Bengali films, he said, “I don’t get time. Usually, they ask for dates within a month. Now, given the system in Bangladesh, I would be in the middle of some projects. And also, I need time for any project I say yes to. I cannot say yes to a project without reading the script and on multiple occasions, when I ask for a script, they ask for my agreement first. The main thing is, I am often asked to give time within a month and that becomes difficult. In Bangladesh, I take nearly six months for a film. There, we don’t have the technical luxury of working on a film within a month.” 

There was a report that suggested Chanchal would be seen in one of the Disney Hotstar projects in India. However, he refuted the claim “There were some initial conversations. And then there is no update after that. Look, I personally feel it is more important to focus on what I am working on rather than who I am working with. With due respect, it is important for me that I like the work. It doesn’t matter who is making it. If I ever get an offer from Hollywood, people around me – my friends, family, and well-wishers – may consider that to be a huge big deal for me. They may ask me to say yes. But I can only say yes if I am convinced with the character and work and never otherwise. That’s why I worked in only seven films in 13 years,” he said.    

Chanchal was offered a character in Anirban Bhattacharya’s Mandaar. However, that did not materialise. “Anirban is a great actor. I call him Choto Babu and he calls me Boro Babu. There were Covid-related complications. It did not work out. I watched Mandaar. I knew he was a great actor. But I did not know his directorial work would also be so great. I was amazed. I wish I could be a part of the show but again, I cannot work fast,” Chanchal told us.