Anindya Sengupta on the success of Oti Uttam & other projects
Oti Uttam has been the talk of the town for some time now, thanks to the intelligent use of footage from iconic Bengali star Uttam Kumar’s films. We caught up with Anindya Sengupta, who spoke about the same and his upcoming projects. “Oti Uttam was my first film, which took three years to release. I believe it has been released at an important phase in my career. Had it really been my debut release, it wouldn’t have been so great, I feel,” he adds. Excerpts:
How critical are you of your previous works?
Every day after you wrap up, you realise there are so many things that didn’t go right. I tyr not to be overly critical and judgemental of even little things that might demotivate me. So, when I am performing something, even if it’s a cliché, I try to bring out the best.
Your kitty is full. Could you share the details?
This year, two of my projects have already been released — Srijit Mukherji’s Oti Uttam and a web show on Addatimes, Preme Pora Baron. I have Abhrajit Sen’s North Kolkata’s Nostradamus, starring Suhotra Mukherjee, Ditipriya Roy, Anirban Chakrabarty, Ujaan Chatterjee and others, which is a slice-of-life project. It’s a story narrated through the eyes of Ditipriya and I who have returned to stay in North Kolkata. I have debutant director Sudipta Laha’s Karon Greece Amader Desh Na Othoba Blue Black O Transparent White, which has a ‘film within a film concept’. It’s about a filmmaker (my character) trying to make a film. There is another one called Gift, starring Sweta Mishra, who’s playing a single mother. Written and directed by the duo Rajat and Arunava, I play a guy from a rural area, who could have been a professional goalkeeper but became a fishmonger. I will also play a young police officer, an OC, Samiran Saha in Pavel’s upcoming film Paran Jaha Chay, and the character has a lot of shades. The film talks about emotions in very broad strokes and is a situational comedy.
How do you manage transitions between two characters you are shooting for more than one project at a time?
Though it’s not an ideal situation, we have to at times. In the past, superstars used to shoot multiple films in a single day. For example, Amitabh Bachchan shot for Kala Patthar and Dostana simultaneously. Frankly, there’s no other option. If I say ‘no’ to a project, someone else is waiting in the queue.