‘Important to keep the conversations going’

Abir Chatterjee is no stranger to the box office race of Durga Puja. In 2022, his adventure thriller ‘Karnasubarner Guptodhon’ became one of the highest-grossing Bengali films ever. In 2023, he followed up with another thriller, ‘Raktabeej’, in which he played the tough IPS officer Pankaj Sinha. The film, directed by Nandita Roy and Shiboprosad Mukhopadhyay, also emerged as a box office winner. This year, Abir is once again teaming up with the successful director duo for the Puja thriller ‘Bohurupi’, in which he plays SI Sumanta Ghosal.

However, the mood in Kolkata this Puja season is somber due to the recent rape and murder at RG Kar Hospital. Many Bangladeshi celebrities have faced public anger despite protesting against crime. While many internet users have praised their involvement, others have criticized them for also promoting their work during this period. On August 15, Abir’s romantic Bengali film ‘Babli’, based on Buddhadeb Guha’s iconic novel, was released amid protests across the city. Abir is happy that despite the turmoil, the audience still appreciated his work in the film.

The actor also acknowledges that there are concerns over whether people will be in the right frame of mind to watch films during this puja. As a result, fewer Bengali films will be released this year compared to previous films. But for Abir, the emphasis remains on doing his job with sincerity. “I will never force or beg my audience to watch my film. The mood in the city during this Puja is unlike any other and we are all equally disturbed,” he said. However, he noted, “All three films ‘Bohurupi’, ‘Tekka’ and ‘Shastri’ explore socio-political themes.”

Now, police officer Sumanta in ‘Bohurupi’ looks nothing like IPS Pankaj Sinha in ‘Raktabeej’. “Pankaj Sinha was diplomatic, did not lose his cool and we did not know anything about his personal life. But Bohurupi’s agent Sumanta has a personal story that is as important as the main story,” said the ‘Alaap’ actor.

His co-star in ‘Bohurupi’, Ritabhari Chakraborty, recently met Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and urged her to form a committee in Tollywood, similar to the Malayalam industry’s Hema committee. When asked how important it is to keep discussions going on sexual exploitation and women’s safety, especially considering how the #MeToo movement faded away after a while, Abir did not hesitate to say how many people understand the real meaning of ‘ professionalism’ in the world. industry. “As film professionals, we work closely with co-stars, so it is crucial to understand mutual respect, dignity and professionalism. Although women have raised the most issues – and rightly so – sexual exploitation occurs regardless of gender. It is crucial to keep conversations alive about women’s safety in the workplace and exploitation,” said the ‘Bishorjon’ actor.

As he reminisced, he thought back to 2018, when he was in Mumbai and first heard about the Hema committee. One of his co-stars was part of the core group. “I remember we talked about it all night. But I believe that this issue should be treated with sensitivity and sensitivity. We cannot be judgmental. It is a long process and we have to approach it with an open mind,” he added.