This story is from December 7, 2016

I'm not smart enough to pull off an affair and go unnoticed: Abir

I'm not smart enough to pull off an affair and go unnoticed: Abir
Sitting in the makeup room of a city studio, thick black specs and a composed demeanour in place, Abir Chatterjee can almost pass off as Byomkesh on an idle day. The radio plays the Feluda theme in the background and a brief glimpse of quiet pride in his eyes is followed quickly by a self-deprecating smile. Clearly, there are two sides to him. The one who's obsessed with himself and the one who's politically correct all the time.
Post an exclusive photo shoot with us, he lets us in on both. Excerpts:
You convincingly slip into a dhoti when playing Byomkesh on screen. In real life, can you drape a dhoti?
To be honest, I cannot drape a dhoti on my own. It's quite a challenge and I always need help with it. But once I'm wearing one, I'm comfortable in it. My dhoti has never fallen off on sets. I can hop, skip and jump in one.
8bw

Abir Chatterjee gives masterclass in bespoke suiting in an Emporio Armani black, classic suit teamed with a metallic shirt.
Makeup: Supravat Naha
How was the experience of working in Byomkesh Pawrbo?
After the stupendous success of Har Har Byomkesh, the idea was to make Byomkesh Pawrbo even better. It's a more intense, pacy and edgy thriller. It was a tiring schedule ' 31 locations, 24 days of outdoor followed by six days in Kolkata. People have shown their love for HHB, now it's time for them to show the same love for Byomkesh Pawrbo. There's always a risk of becoming self-complacent in the second film of a franchise, but that's a myth. I've put my heart and soul into this film.

How comfortable were you pulling off daredevil stunts while shooting for the film?
There are chase sequences, hand-to-hand combat, lathi fight. I have bled, almost broke my finger and was left with a dozen bruises all over. So Nandini asked me, 'Did you go for a shoot or a boxing match? But then again, Byomkesh is worth the pain and the risks. It has given me so much popularity, it was only time for me to give it back.
In recent times, you've upped your fashion game by several notches'
(Laughs) Have I? Style and fashion seem complicated to me. In reel life, I wear what I'm made to wear and in real life, what I feel comfortable in.
wm_watermarked abir1

Abir gives winter the cold shoulder with a navy pullover with a flourish of bold hue by Paul Smith.
If you are the most stylish actor in Tollywood, who comes a close second?
I wouldn't name anyone. You see, I'm not good at number games. They always land me in trouble.
Rumour has it that you do not react well to falling out of favour with directors who don't repeat you in their films'
On the contrary, I've been extremely lucky with most of my directors repeating me in their films. I've done four films each with Babuda (Sandip Ray), Arindam Sil and Anjan Dutt. Srijit (Mukherji), Raj Chakrabarty, Sudeshna Roy-Abhijit Guha and Kaushikda (Ganguly) too have repeat-cast me in their films. Besides, it's never anger. I'm not just an actor, I'm a member of the audience too and in that capacity, entitled to an opinion. And isn't abhiman an emotion that's reserved for those close to us?
After doing films like Hrid Majhare, Abby Sen, Har Har Byomkesh, you went ahead and signed a Thammar Boyfriend. Did you second guess your creative instincts when you signed such an out-and-out romcom?
I loved the concept. Being cast opposite a legend like Sabitri Chatterjee was an opportunity I wasn't going to miss for anything in the world. Actors of my generation will give their right arms for such a role. In fact, I believe we need to make more light-hearted, family entertainers.
wm_watermarked abir2

Jacket and T-shirt: Bossini by Lifestyle, Jeans: Forca by Lifestyle
Thirty four films later, Abir Chatterjee is still most relatable to the Byomkesh franchise'
There's nothing wrong with people identifying me with an iconic character. Films on characters like Byomkesh and Feluda have an upper hand when it comes to box office owing to their familiarity with the audience. Having said that, I'm extremely proud of films like Abby Sen, Bastushaap, Hrid Majhare and The Royal Bengal Tiger. If artistes like Girish Kasaravalli and Soumitra Chatterjee can praise me after watching Abby Sen, I think I've done a good job. Soumitra jethu said it was one of the most delightful watches in recent times with very subtle performances. It's not my responsibility if people have missed these films.
And Rajkahini isn't a film you are proud of?
No. I think I misread and misinterpreted the script and it was entirely my fault.
It was said that your views on Rajkahini had something to do with Jisshu's performance in the film'
This is my interview so let's stick to questions about me. But while we are on the subject, I'd like to congratulate Jisshu on the splendid work he's doing.
There's never been a rumour of your link-up with an actress. Is it a 'perfect husband' image that you have carefully cultivated or are you just plain lucky?
(Cuts in) I'm not a perfect husband. Nobody can be a perfect husband or a perfect father because there's no such thing as perfect. Besides, I'm not eligible to be a controversial figure.
wm_watermarked abir5

Blazer and shirt: Code by Lifestyle; Jeans: Forca
And what are the eligibility criteria?
One has be to very flamboyant. I'm inherently a reserved person and I spend as less time as possible at parties or social events. I've not come across a rule book that says extramarital affair is mandatory if you are an actor. And had I been in one, would it have been possible to keep it under wraps for long? And especially with so many intelligent people around me in the industry, I don't think I'm smart enough to pull off an affair and go unnoticed.
It's ironical that you're very flamboyant on Twitter yet you ask your wife to not engage in any kind of virtual PDA.
That's not flamboyance. That's healthy camaraderie. I am confident of the relationship I share with a few from the industry and they too never take that otherwise. Besides, if I want to shower affection on my wife, I'll do it at home and not on social media.
So you've never been attracted to a co-star?
I'm too obsessed with myself to be obsessed with anyone else.
Do you have a friend in the industry?
I can never share the kind of friendship I have with a college friend with someone from the industry. But among my contemporaries, I'm good friends with Param (Parambrata Chatterjee) and Jeet.
What projects are you working on at the moment?
I'm working on Bisorjon by Kaushik Ganguly, Meghnad Bodh Rahasya by Anik Dutta and Ami Joy Chatterjee by Manoj Michigan. Then there is a short film by Atanu Ghosh and a
reality show with Soumitra Chatterjee.
author
About the Author
Shreyanka Mazumdar

Shreyanka Mazumdar is a journalist with Calcutta Times. She handles the Bengali Entertainment section of the TOI website. She's a bookworm and her interests lie in cats, fashion and airplanes.

End of Article
FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA