Abir Chatterjee will soon be seen in Avrodh 2 The Siege Within. Directed by Raj Acharya, it will premiere on June 24 on SonyLIV. The Free Press Journal caught up with the Bengali star for an exclusive telephonic interaction. Excerpts:
How are you feeling now that the release date is nearing?
Right now, keeping my fingers crossed. I am slightly anxious and also excited, but not very nervous. It’s a positive nervousness, I would say. My grandma would say if you are apprehensive or nervous before the exams, it means you know the importance of your job. You are not overconfident. This is my first major break on an OTT platform. I have been continuously doing Bengali films. I am waiting for feedback and reactions to pour back after its release.
How clear are you in Hindi diction?
Hindi is not my mother tongue, though I have grown up watching Hindi films and songs. I have no problem understanding Hindi, but the problem lies with – KI and Ka. That’s an internal problem with everyone, I feel. The KI and Ka logic it’s difficult to understand. Secondly, I don’t speak Hindi on a regular basis; that is why; I don’t know where to breathe in and breathe out and when to twist my tongue. I was apprehensive about it, and I told Raj, but he reassured me that since I am playing a Bengali character, my Hindi is welcome. They wanted the Bengali accent to be there to have that natural feel. It was Pradeep Bhattacharya from the beginning. Also they didn’t want that caricaturist Bengali. He is based in Mumbai and is interacting with different people from different regions.
This season is dealing with demonetisation. How do you look at it?
This is for the audience to decide. This is based on true events, but certain cinematic liberty has also been taken. This is kind of a back story where there are conspiracies where people are planning against our country. Pradeep has a dual identity, belonging to the special force Indian Army, but at the same time, he is also in income tax. He is properly trained for any mission/adventure.
In real life, did you wish to join the Army?
Not really. We were given some videos to watch when I was signed for this role. And some Army veterans gave us information about the technicalities involved. We visited Army camps where people were being trained after their selections into the Indian Army. When you see this in front of your eyes, you realise how tough their life is. The kind of risk they take from a very young age... It’s because of them we lead this normal life. You realise the importance, and it’s a kind of tribute to pay these real-life heroes.
After Kahaani, why did you take so much time to do a Hindi project? Will there be no looking back after this in the Hindi industry?
In Kahaani, I also played an Army officer. I wanted to go out and work in another industry also. But I don’t want to compromise here in the Bengali industry. I have prior commitments also. This is like home for me. It doesn’t mean I don’t want to go out of my home. I will surely balance between projects here and outside, provided people like my work and I get more work. I have understood when I am working outside my industry, I am, in a way, representing my industry, so the whole responsibilities are higher. I am waiting for bigger and better opportunities.
