I don't have the hero looks: Saswata Chatterjee

A normal Bangali chhele without hero looks. But an abnormally good actor with great potential. That's Saswata Chatterjee. He gets candid about his 'Kahaani', character roles and criticism
DK Bose wasn't running just like that. I had done him a nomoshkar!' ' that's the message doing the rounds. But Saswata Chatterjee aka Bob Biswas, has no clue about this. Unlike his 'friendly neighbourhood assassin' avatar from 'Kahaani', Saswata's life is not governed by a mobile phone.He doesn't even use one. Neither does he check Facebook, which is why he has no clue that the 'Bob Biswas' FB page has 16,983 likes. We chatted about his recent roles ' Ajit and Bob ' playing Topshe and being Mr Clean in Tollywood after fixing an interview ' of course, on the landline!
Now that 'Kahaani' has become such a huge hit, are you going to start using a mobile phone? (Laughs loudly) Absolutely not! I've managed my life quite well without the irritating presence of a mobile phone so far. Bob or not, I'll keep doing just that. Mobile phones can make people extremely unsociable; I don't like that.
What if more Bollywood directors come calling? Bollywood, unlike our own Bengali film industry, is extremely professional. My not having a mobile phone won't deter any director from contacting me. If they want me, they will definitely find a way to get me.
From Topshe to Bob Biswas, it's been one long journey as an actor... Acting just happened to me. In my teens, I would watch a lot of theatre and enact scenes in front of the mirror. My father (late Shubhendu Chatterjee) had no clue what I wanted to do in life. He would pester me about this and I decided to take up acting as my profession. The other reason for my pursuing this career is that it's one of the only professions that lets you travel without spending from your own pocket. I started out in group theatre, acting for Jochon Dastidar's Charbak. He was my mentor. I trudged my way through daily soaps and then Topshe happened. From that time, you can say that my acting ability has spoken for me and provided me roles. Of course, 'Kahaani' was a huge break. Playing Bob Biswas was nothing but fate smiling down on me.
How did the 'Kahaani' offer come your way? When Sujoy called me up and offered me this role, I was extremely surprised. I mean, Bollywood has loads of talented people, who could have done an equally good job! So why me? Sujoy claimed that he knew me from childhood. His maternal uncle's house was just opposite mine. He had seen me in films and wanted no one but me. The confidence that he's shown in me helped a lot while filming.
How was it shooting for a thriller in Kolkata? Oh, we had a lot of fun! And I'm very thankful to the people of Kolkata. Without their cooperation, this film couldn't have happened. We shot chase sequences in the narrow alleys of north Kolkata with a Bollywood star like Vidya. But we didn't have any problems. Moreover, shooting for a Hindi film is way different from shooting for a Bengali movie. Their organizational ability and professionalism are something to watch and learn from. It was a very enriching experience.
How did you prepare for Bob Biswas? Did the character have your inputs too? While briefing me, Sujoy would call me 'Binito Bob' (Polite Bob). We discussed him threadbare and decided to give Bob a belly and a balding head. Then I thought why not invest Bob with an idiosyncrasy? So I decided to show him rubbing his nails. I've seen many balding men constantly do that to increase hair growth. That mannerism was my brainchild and it worked fabulously! Many people told me later that they were very impressed with that little detailing.
Did you have any clue that the character would garner this sort of fan following? I'm still stunned by the craze about Bob. Usha Uthup was the first person to congratulate me. She called from Kochi, where she'd watched the film with her family, and said, 'Darling, I didn't know you could be so mean!' Then my wife showed the pages on social networking sites and I was just stupefied. Calcutta Times also reported how fans were planning to come out with a graphic novel on the character. Films have been made on cartoon characters, but a graphic novel on a serial killer from a film ' I don't think that's happened before! I feel very humble that people are appreciating my role so much.
So many years in Tollywood, and it took Kolkata a Bollywood movie to start raving about Saswata Chatterjee the actor... I don't think that's true. Yes, the attention I'm getting is quite unbelievable, but the audience here has always been supportive. Being a Bollywood film, 'Kahaani' can reach a larger number of people and that's worked in my favour. But people, whether in the industry or outside, have always acknowledged my hard work. Finally, that's what paid off ' hence, the praise for Bob.
From 'Kahaani' to Byomkesh. One thriller to another. How different was the experience? Oh, completely different. I've been playing Ajit in Anjanda's Byomkesh for the last two films. No two characters can be polar opposites more than Ajit and Bob. Ajit's character had some comic undertones, which I really enjoyed portraying. I loved playing a person with a subtle sense of humour.
What do you think about Abir Chatterjee as Byomkesh? Abir is a brilliant actor. He approaches the role very casually. It works, since Byomkesh never makes an effort to show his intelligence. Abir has also improved a lot from the first film. It also helps that he looks like Byomkesh. Anjanda initially offered Byomkesh's role to me but decided later that I should play Ajit. After seeing Abir's first look as Byomkesh, I think Anjanda made the right choice.
We always see you in supporting roles rather than as the lead. Any regrets? Dyakho, I'm a normal Bangali chhele. I can't dance, I don't have the hero looks. So lead roles aren't for me. But I've never had any regrets about my character. My roles in 'Bong Connection', 'Chalo Let's Go', 'Madly Bangalee' or 'Rang Milanti' are very close to my heart. I think if the audience remembers you after watching the movie, that's enough for me. Look at what Bob Biswas is doing. So the length of the character doesn't matter if you are confident in what you are doing. 'Sholay' was not possible without Gabbar Singh, and Byomkesh Bakshi would also be incomplete without Ajit.
How do you choose roles? How important is the director's name? During my early days as an actor, I was lucky to be in close contact with people like Benuda (Sabyasachi Chakraborty), Debangshu Sengupta, Rabiranjan Moitra and Jochon Dastidar. They taught me the importance of a good role. So while choosing a role, I follow my instinct. When I act, I give my hundred per cent. I never ask Anjan Dutt or Kaushik Ganguly about the role. I have complete faith in them. Whatever they offer, I never say no.
Your favourite character so far... I loved my character in Kaushik Ganguly's 'Rang Milanti'. It had many shades. Also the small character I played in 'Madly Bangalee'. My family loved me in them.
Speaking of family, who is the biggest critic in your life? Undoubtedly my wife. She criticizes every film I do, which helps me grow as an actor. I have some friends in the industry, who also scrutinize my acting and religiously point out the faults. I am very grateful to them.
Saswata Chatterjee is one of the few people in Tollywood who's friends with everyone and has a Mr Clean image. How do you manage that? Easy, I lead my life my own way. I never quarrel, I never speak ill of any person in public and most importantly, I avoid people who love to gossip. I try to have fun while shooting. My experience has taught me to take criticism and appreciation in my stride. I don't run after money. That makes me less competitive. I love spending time with my family or just watching a movie rather than going to crowded parties. If that makes me different, I'm happy as I am.
What are your next projects? I've just finished 'Aborto'. There are films by Kaushik Ganguly, Shiboprasad and Manoj Michigan in the pipeline. In Manoj's film 'Damadol', I play a comic don. I'm looking forward to the role.
Madhusree Ghosh