A jack of all trades: An exclusive with Parambrata Chattopadhyay
"Music has been a major part of my life since childhood," shared Parambrata Chattopadhyay over the phone, as if he were going through his meteoric career in his own mind. Hailing from West Bengal, his charm worked magic in Bollywood as well. As we moved on with the conversation, he reflected upon his musical journey, whilst talking about the roles that are larger than life, and his recently released Bangladeshi film.
His fourth Bangladeshi featurette, "Ajob Karkhana", directed by Shabnam Ferdousi, hit theatres yesterday countrywide. The musical film has given Parambrata a unique experience as a musician himself. The director was looking for someone as her film's lead (Rajeeb), who is in his 40s and can fluently play an electric guitar. "My immediate response after listening to the story was, it is absolutely my story!"
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The actor was quick to dive into nostalgia. "Beginning with Rabindranath Tagore, I immersed myself in music, and during my teenage years, I rebelled against other genres and indulged in Western music, particularly English songs. In my mid-20s, my musical taste took another turn, drawing me more towards my own roots -- returning to Tagore, to getting introduced to modern Bangla songs, while simultaneously delving into classical."
The talented artiste feels that the experience of working in "Ajob Karkhana" enriched his soul. "I used to look for the research works done on folk musicians and music genres and at that time, I didn't have the real experience of witnessing them performing live, which I had during the shoot. It seemed surreal to me when listening to Jari, Ghatu or Baul songs (in front of Lalon Shah's shrine) in a rustic atmosphere with thousands of people."
Produced by Samia Zaman, the film marks the actor's fourth project in Bangladesh. Earlier, he was featured in "Bhuban Majhi", directed by Fakhrul Arefeen Khan, "Voyongkor Sundor" by Animesh Aich, and "Saturday Afternoon" by Mostofa Sarwar Farooki.
Farooki's film was unfortunately halted by the censor board, but later it was released on the OTT streaming site Sony LIV. "Every country, society, and region have their own reality and the administration has to keep those realities in mind. We must respect that. Being a part of the film, I definitely wanted the Bangladeshi audience to watch it. However, there must be some specific reason behind not permitting the film's release and I don't have the right to make any remarks on their decision. Even in India, there were many projects which faced similar troubles. I don't want any outsider to comment on that, so I won't make any remarks either."
Parambrata added that after it began streaming in Sony LIV, he received numerous phone calls and messages, appreciating his work. "I believe the film has already reached its audience."
During his visit to Dhaka, Param celebrated his birthday and met the press many times, where a common question he had to encounter was regarding Shakib Khan and "Toofan's" release. Did it make him uncomfortable at any point?
"Absolutely not! I am elated and proud of the success of the film and those associated with the production are close to my heart. I am affiliated with SVF for my next two projects and I believe, we will have a collaboration with Chorki as well. I have also known Alpha-i for a long time. Apart from all these, I worked for Hoichoi as well for the next season of our acclaimed series "Parnashavarir Shaap", which is coming soon."
To the actor, the roles that are larger than life depend on the extent of the project itself, also the perspective of how one sees it. "If you look from an American perspective, it will be different from the European perspective. In the traditional context, I haven't been in such a project that is 'larger than life' in a typical notion, but my role in 'Hercules' can be considered close to it. Also, in the last half an hour of 'Chotushkone', the role becomes as such! In fact, my character in 'Ajob Karkhana', at some point, can also be perceived to be one of such roles, as it tells the story of a person who is on a journey of reaching towards his soul."
Since Parambrata had to catch a train in a few minutes, the conversation needed to be concluded. Being an actor, director and musician, he has gained a lot of popularity. However, when asked to his director self—what can make the collaborative productions between both Bengals more effective and more viable for both industries?— he replied, "The bureaucracy and the administrative procedures should be laxer from both sides. Also, the people who are involved in the project need to be equally invested."
Parambrata bid me farewell, sharing that he would be returning to Dhaka soon by the end of this month, after completing his pending works in the USA and Mumbai.
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