Anger and ego is affecting Tollywood: Parambrata Chatterjee

Parambrata Chatterjee gets candid with CT about Lorai, Chotushkone and life without his mother
Parambrata Chatterjee is keeping really busy these days, given his hectic promotional schedule and myriad personal engagements. But despite all this, and the fact that he did keep us waiting, he landed at the TOI office for a heart-to-heart chat about Lorai, the vacuum left behind by his mother and other things.Excerpts:
Is life a big lorai for Param?
Well, there are two ways of looking at it. One, whether I feel life has been a big fight for me and if I've reached a certain point.The other way is to take life as it comes.Each person goes through fights and struggles; why make a fuss? My approach is casual; at least, it has been for the last few years. I remember the Chandril song ��� Bangalir bogol bhora struggle ache, chhagol bhora mangsho. So, oi bogol bhora struggle ta ami kaoke shonate chaina.
Your mother was your biggest strength. How difficult is life without her?
Indraadipda (Das Gupta) says when somebody is taken away by God, there is always a replacement. When ma was alive, there was no regular household help at our house, barring a cook, who also cleaned the house and left. When ma was ill throughout 2013, we had to keep a help and after she passed away , this 65-year-old woman from Murshidabad has become the backbone of the house. To add to my delight, my cook has also started staying at my house with her kid, from August. They keep my house full (smiles).
Lorai must be extra special to you, as it was the last movie your mom saw you direct. Do you dedicate this film to her?
(After a pause) Yes, and Lorai is special to me for a lot of reasons. It is much bigger than my previous two directorial ventures in terms of canvas and subject. When I started writing it, I realized that I get drawn towards stories of struggle ��� stories about the triumph of hardworking people and Lorai is about that.
Lorai is about football. Are you a football fanatic?
I like cricket, but I have always loved football. It is like cinema to me ��� 90 minutes of speed and dynamism. I inherited the addiction for the game from my father. But the seed idea for the film came from someone else. In 2012, I received an email from someone called Sabir Hussain Mollah from Sonarpur that said he wanted to tell me a story .I asked him to meet me. He told me that he was a footballer, who had to leave the game due to an injury . For a player, having to stop playing is earth-shattering. After Hawa Bodol, when I was thinking about my next project, I remembered it. So, while shooting for Proloy with Padmanabha Dasgupta in Purulia, I shared the story with him. He was not very keen, as such subjects have been dealt with earlier. But I felt differently. Once we reached Kolkata, I quickly wrote 10 scenes. When Padmada read it, he was like, 'Aarey tui toh likheyi felechis!' It was then that we started working on the story.
What is the story about?
It has three pegs. One is about a defeated man, an ex-footballer, played by Bumbada (Prosenjit Chatterjee), who retired from the sport some 25 years back due to an injury. Now, he is an irritable man in his early 50s who trains kids and plans to leave the country soon to live with his nephew in Ireland. Another part of the film deals with poor villagers who have surrendered to life's vagaries. Each meal comes after a struggle and at times, they are stuck between the state and anti-state machineries. And the third part is about football.
Gargee, who plays a pivotal role in the film, said Parambrata is a much better director than an actor. Even Prosenjit said you have matured as a director...
Well, as an actor I will not really like to believe what Gargee said, as my fans will be very disappointed (laughs). I really enjoy acting and all the attention. Having said that, donning the director's hat has always been my target. Honestly , I love directing more than acting. And if Bumbada has praised me, I take it as a compliment. But I can say that people will get to see the real Param in Lorai -the one who believes in well-made commercial cinema.
Was it difficult to rope in Prosenjit Chatterjee, as he is very choosy about his roles now?
On the contrary, it was rather easy.He gave his nod soon after hearing the script.
Most Bengali films are not doing well at the box office. Are you scared ahead of your release?
I heard films like Apur Panchali, Chotushkone, Ramdhanu and some others have done moderately well this year. So, yes, there is tension about the film's business prospects. But Bengali films are not working for several reasons, the economic and political climate in the state for one.In the interiors of Bengal, people do not have a stable livelihood. How will they spend money on entertainment? Also, there is this tendency to release big projects too early, leading to a compromise on their quality . We should also think a little more about the audience. We think they will rally behind us when we indulge in our creative liberties. If I take Chotushkone as an example, it is a complicated film to watch. Amar mashi-ra cinema ta dekhe boleche je boi hathe niye boshar moton obostha, besh kothin cinema. But I admire Srijit Mukherji for this. He knows how to engage the audience in the last 30 minutes. After all, the audience takes the last 30 minutes home and that's what matters.
You said the dismal political and economic scenario in West Bengal has hit the state's film industry.Don't you think the same political and economic scenario can prove to be an appropriate theme for a movie?
Yes, it can be, but certain things can hamper development and even production of the story . The audience in Bengal is not prepared for such sensitive issues right now. Maybe the idea can be pitched after a couple of years or so.
With Byomkesh and Feluda releasing on the same day, what do you have to say as an actor?
I think its tomfoolery. I'm aware that Badshahi Angti will have a Christmas release, but I don't know why the other production house is doing it. I am sure the producers have their reasons, but both films will lose out on audience. The lead actor, Abir Chatterjee, is suffering for this. I pity him. Whatever be the reason, anger or ego, it is affecting the industry.
Do you have any similarities with Topshe ��� the character you once played?
None. In fact, when people compare my romantic roles with Topshe, it gets really awkward. The guy (Topshe) is a flat and monotonous character. He can't even get a date (laughs)!
What are your upcoming projects?
I am writing a few things, but I will start work next summer or monsoon. I think I'm not doing Romeo Juliet, but there's Mahabharat. That apart, I'm doing Neel Mukherjee's film and reading Jenny and Dipayan's script.