Despite making a few appearances in films and TV shows, it was Mumbai Diaries 26/11 that shone the spotlight on Satyajeet Dubey. In a free-wheeling chat with Free Press Journal, the actor talks about his upcoming web series Bestseller and more.
When asked if he believes that after doing Mumbai Diaries 26/11, his game has uplifted in a lot of ways, he says, “It is simply great. OTT has not only changed the game for actors but even for the technicians. The stories which are being told right now in different genres on OTT are fabulous. I am happy to be a part of great stories like Mumbai Diaries 26/11 and now Bestseller.”
His last theatrical outing, Prassthanam, including many others in the past, didn’t work at the box office. We proceed to quiz him if OTT is the saving grace of his career. “I wouldn’t call it a saving grace. The kind of work I did earlier was really interesting. For the outer world, it could be a hit or flop, but for an actor, filmmaker, producer, they want to give their best. I miss the whole euphoria around the theatres, but I am sure it would be back with a bang. People say theatre (stage) is dying, but it still has its audiences. If I get time, I might do a play someday. I did a series like Bestseller since I liked it irrespective of the medium,” he shares.
Elaborating further on how his career has shaped up till now, he adds, “I totally agree that my films didn’t work, but I sustained as an actor since I was good in them. I did Prassthanam, and right after it, I started Mumbai Diaries 26/11. There were three projects lined up for me pre-pandemic, but they were stalled for the obvious reasons.”
Bestseller is a psychological thriller, a genre done to death. However, Satyajeet disagrees. “If we see the storytelling around the world, there are hardly six to seven ways of narrating it. Rarely a disruptor comes that introduces a different genre. When I did Prassthanam, Mumbai Diaries 26/11 and chose Bestseller, I saw whether I was guided throughout the story or not. Bestseller is a complete departure from what I did in Mumbai Diaries 26/11. My character is intriguing, and it has been the most smoothing experience as an actor. Each character in the series is dealing with the moral dilemma,” he explains.
Working with a stellar cast that includes Mithun Chakraborty, Arjan Bajwa, Shruti Haasan, Gauahar Khan and Sonalee Kulkarni, Satyajeet reveals, “My very first scene was with Mithun da. People have this preconceived notion that senior actors intimidate the younger ones, but it was exactly the opposite. Every actor I have worked with, be it Shah Rukh Khan, Sanjay Dutt, Konkona Sen Sharma or Manisha Koirala, are great actors because they are givers.”
Satyajeet feels blessed to have worked with the best talent in Bollywood. “Acting is not a monologue but a dialogue. I have been lucky to have acted with such people who have great energy. Mithun da used to ask me if I had to rehearse. He knows his queues, pauses etc. I didn’t get an opportunity to do workshops with Shruti, but we met on the sets and clicked,” he concludes.
Directed by Mukul Abhyankar and produced by Siddharth Malhotra, Bestseller will begin streaming on Amazon Prime Video from February 18.
