Whose acting skills is higher education minister Bratya Basu a fan of?

Theatre is one medium that binds them both. And it is their undying passion for the art that brought Bratya Basu and Ritwick Chakraborty together for their latest theatrical venture, Ke?. Directed by Bratya, the play will see Ritwick as the protagonist. The awesome twosome joins CT for an adda, in between rehearsals. Excerpts:
With Ke?, Ritwick is back on stage after eight-nine years. What made you zero in on Ritwick as the protagonist?
Bratya: Ritwick is a brilliant actor.It is not that I have cast him because he has already carved a niche for himself in films. There are many actors who are doing well in films. But for me, one has to have an alternative mind to be a part of theatre. Whether that actor is part of films, serials or dance drama doesn���t matter. Not many people have that aptitude for theatre. But there are some, who have that calibre despite being seriously involved in films. I want to get those actors on board. Theatre is different from cinema. In films, a unit shoots for 25 days at a stretch and it���s done. But in a play, an actor has to take it forward for two or more years with the same kind of precision and body language. I didn���t know Ritwick on a personal level. But every time I used to watch him, I felt he was a talented actor. Ami or abhinoyer anuragi. Ritwick has that alternative mind, which I wanted to see in a theatre actor.
Don���t you think actors get bored of playing the same role again and again for years together
Bratya: There is a book called Prepare a Character. I think every actor should go through it to get over such hang-ups.
Ritwick, how does it feel to return to the stage after so many years?
Ritwick: It feels great, and I am honoured to be part of Bratyada���s play. I am an ardent fan of his works. I love Bratyada���s acting and I keep telling him that.
Bratya: Durr��� kothaye? I haven���t heard that before (laughs)���
Ritwick: (Smiles) I do Bratyada. I was jittery before taking up the project. My confidence level was zero. It was you who gave me that confidence to be on stage again. It���s a thriller, where I play a doctor.
Ritwick, is your director happy with your performance?
Ritwick: It is very difficult to decipher Bratyada���s reactions. Bratyada shob shomoy raagi raagi mukh kore thake (smiles). But I think he is not unhappy with my performance altogether. As for me, I am thoroughly enjoying myself.
Bratya: (Laughs) I am quite transparent, Ritwick. One can easily make out whether I am angry or cheerful. All I can say is that Ritwick is an intelligent actor and like a fish takes to water, he is back in form again. I love the way he delivers his lines.
Ritwick: So true.
Is it true that to be a good actor one needs have some amount of experience in theatre?
Bratya: It depends. I have seen actors hailing from theatre background, who are miserable as performers. Of course, I can���t take names. Again, there are film actors, with no experience in theatre, and yet they are brilliant. Theatre makes you a disciplined person. It changes your philosophy of life. I enjoy working in plays, but for Ke? I decided to opt out since I needed to take time out for Lok Sabha elections. But for your information, Cinemar Moto will be back along with Ke? and I will be revisiting my character, Abhijit Dutta Gupta, very soon (smiles).
Ritwick: I don���t claim to be a theatre actor. But theatre does train you as an actor.
Tell us about your new play, Ke?...
Bratya: It is a thriller. The play is a take on different aspects of the society and also focuses on the ups and down in a married life. The story revolves around a doctor (Sunil Sen) and his wife, who are in for a separation. One fine day, Sunil gets a visitor. The man accuses Sunil of having an affair with his late wife, who committed suicide. The story takes off from there.
Do both of you watch commercial films?
Ritwick: No, I don���t. But once in a while, I do catch a film or two on television.
Bratya: I have seen Mahapurush O Kapurush and Chander Pahar. I only watch works of those directors who watch my films (laughs).
Is theatre a dying art?
Bratya: We all have to die someday. It���s a universal truth. Anything that is pure, is dying, and so is theatre. However, I have no qualms about it. My mantra is to entertain people and I will continue doing so.
Ritwick: I agree theatre is in crisis. But despite so many distractions around, theatre has survived for thousands of years. So, there must be an audience for it.