I will never forget this journey; Dwarikanath’s character remains etched in my heart: Suman Dey on ‘Karunamoyee Rani Rashmoni’ going off-air

Period-drama ‘Karunamoyee Rani Rashmoni’ is going to end its journey on Bengali television after having a successful run. The television show, which has an ensemble cast including some of the finest actors of this industry in its four-and-a-half year of journey, is finally coming to an end. The cast and crew are quite emotional bidding goodbye to the show. Actor Suman Dey, who is playing Dwarikanath’s role in the show, has his last shoot today while most of his co-stars wrapped up shoot on Thursday. The actor poured his heart out in a chat with ETimes TV.

Suman joined the cast of 'Karunamoyee Rani Rashmoni' last year. “I will never forget this journey. I joined 7 months back and it still seems like yesterday. Time quickly flew by and before I could realise anything, we are wrapping up. While most of the artists had their last shot on Thursday, I am fortunate enough to have yet another opportunity shoot as Dwarikanath today,” says Suman. (Photo: Facebook)

“I have played different characters in my career but Dwarikanath is different. Unlike other characters, it wasn’t fiction,” says Suman. He took a brief pause and adds, “I used to watch films like Mangal Pandey, Ashoka or Jodhaa Akbar and it has been my dream to do a period-drama and play such characters. Aamir Khan changed his look to essay Mangal Pandey and sported a moustache, Hrithik Roshan and Shah Rukh Khan both worked on their looks to portray the characters on-screen. You have to be lucky to play those real-life characters on-screen. Dwarikanath made my dream come true. I decided to change my look completely so that none can relate me to Nakshikantha’s Dr. Joshojit. I sported a moustache, long hair instead of using a wig or make-up. I worked hard on my appearance to look convincing. For an actor, all his projects are equally favourite, but Rani Rashmoni will always be close to my heart. Dwarikanath’s character remains etched in my heart.” Here's Suman with one of his admirers. (Photo: Facebook)

Most of the audiences thought the show would go off-air with Rani Rashmoni’s demise. But the makers surprised the viewers by adding new characters and the new tracks worked in favour of the show too. Suman’s reel character became popular. Actors Sourav Saha, who is essaying Sri Ramakrishna’s role, earned huge appreciation from fans. Actors Diya Chakraborty, Sushmili Acharjee, Amitava Das, and others managed to hook the audience to the TV screen with their performances. “When I joined the cast, many were skeptical whether the show would run. A few thought it won’t score well on the TRP charts. It was quite a challenge. But we proved everyone wrong and Rani Rashmoni Uttarparba managed to impress the audience and the love I received from the audience is something I will never forget” says Suman. (Photo: Facebook)

Team Karunamoyee Rani Rashmoni became a family to the actor. From enjoying adda outside the set to engaging in make-up room fun, the artists were caught enjoying quality time together. “The bond I share with the team is really special. After Bodhu Boron, I had such a wonderful experience again. We have decided to meet frequently and keep our bonding intact even after Rani Rashmoni goes off-air,” concludes the actor. (Photo: Facebook)

Dwarikanath’s chemistry with his wife Kumudini was loved by the audience. Interestingly, Sushmili, who plays Kumudini’s character, is very young in real life. “Sushmili is really young but a wonderful actress. I was a bit worried about our chemistry on-screen initially. I tried to speak with her but she was afraid of me (laughs). I decided to make her feel comfortable. One day, after she arrived at the set, I bowed to her and she giggled. Slowly, she started feeling comfortable,” says the actor. (Photo: Facebook)

The actor shared how his mom, who is an avid follower of the show, was thrilled when he was offered Dwarikanath’s role. “My mom was really excited when I was offered the role. She never misses the episodes and now that the show is going off-air, mom is really upset,” says Suman. His mom, too, shared how she expected the show to run. “As an audience, I am upset and wanted the show to work. It’s not because of the fact that Suman is associated with the show. I loved the way Sri Ramakrishna was portrayed on-screen. He (Sourav Saha) is simply brilliant,” says Suman’s mom. (Photo: Facebook)