Bangla-Hindi star-actor Parambrata Chatterjee turned 39 last month during the lockdown. His Dutch girlfriend was not in town.
“Yeah I turned 39 on 27 June. I’ll be 40 next year. I never really realized so much of my time on earth had passed. I didn’t really, really do much on my birthday this year because we are all trying to cope with the lockdown.”
But some of my friends Parambrata’s friends made it a point to come over to his home. “They actually took me by surprise. I knew that something was brewing. But, yeah, we had a sort of a surprise party at home. Some very, very dear friends. Some from the film industry, some not. They all got together and did this for me. I was very touched and really had quite a nice time.”
So in spite of the lockdown a fun birthday party? “ That was the evening before my birthday. So on the birthday itself, I mean, we kind of crossed over from midnight. On the day of the birthday, I usually don’t do all that much. So I just stayed home, read a bit and I had a few phone calls to attend and spend some time with myself.”
Was Parambrata’s Dutch girlfriend Ike Schouten of 9 years with whom he shares a long-distance relationship, with him on his birthday?
Parambrata laughs shyly.“She actually moved to Calcutta in 2017 to be with me. She travels back and forth quite frequently, but she lives here, although right now she’s not here. She left for the Netherlands in February to work there for three, four months. She was supposed to come back on the 1st of June. But then this entire situation transpired and she’s there as of now. And we don’t really know what she can come back, but she’s going to come back as soon as the international flying starts again, reopens here.”