Jisshu Sengupta the talented actor has made his work speak for himself!! The actor is known for his projects in Bengali, Hindi and Telugu cinema. After making inroads as an actor in Bengali TV shows, Jisshu has gone on to be part of some remarkable big screen projects.
Recently, his work in the film Shakuntala Devi opposite Vidya Balan has been appreciated a lot. Shakuntala Devi directed by Anu Menon beamed on Amazon Prime Studios.
In an exclusive conversation with IWMBuzz.com, Jisshu looks back at his acting career and talks of his memorable moments and on future goals.
Excerpts:
What was your personal journey with the movie Shakuntala Devi like?
It was brilliant. When I went through the script of Paritosh Banerji, I had a few questions in mind. I had a talk with Anu Menon and found that she was absolutely clear on what she wanted from the role. After that I was on board and the rest is history. Overall, it was a beautiful journey.
What are your personal takeaways from this movie?
I don’t usually take away anything from any of the roles that I do. It is only between action and cut that I am present playing the role. I leave it to that. When I come back home, I leave my character on the set and usually do not carry it with me.
How was it to perform the character of Paritosh Banerji?
All the characters in the film Shakuntala Devi are real characters. So if I talk about my role, I got to know more about Paritosh from Anu and Vidya. Vidya and Anu had met Anupama Banerji, the daughter of Shakuntala Devi and wife of Paritosh Banerji. So I understood the person and was clear about how to go about playing the role. The only plus point about playing this character was that no one has actually seen Paritosh Banerji. So I had to put in a lot of my skills into the character.
Tell us about the best memories from playing this role?
Well, from all the viewers who have seen the film, I have gotten huge appreciation and they have liked me a lot. For an actor, this has to be the best compliment. The best award for me I would say, was when Anupama Banerji and her husband Ajay called me up from London and congratulated me. I was told that Anupama actually cried while watching Paritosh onscreen. I was overwhelmed with this love pouring in.
How was it working with Vidya Balan?
It was splendid. Vidya is one of the beautiful human beings and beautiful souls I have come across. She’s always smiling, having fun on the set. I have been a huge fan of hers, and working with her was great. We used to speak a lot in Bengali on the set. With nobody else on the set understanding the language, we used to still speak Bengali and make life hell for them (smiles). She’s a fabulous actress and working with an actor of that stature, this was an opportunity for me too to stretch my boundaries. Thanks to Vidya, she actually helped in pushing my boundaries and my skills. The results are out. People have loved our chemistry and the whole equation between Paritosh and Shakuntala has been talked about.
You have had a great film career. Take us through the best moments of yours.
Well, the best moment is yet to come. My career is pretty long. It’s been 22 years now, and I can’t pick and choose one. I would say that the entire experience of me as an actor has made me whatever I am today. The only thing that I have learnt is that you need to keep on learning every moment of your day. Always be honest and passionate to your craft.
But yes, I definitely want to mention that Rituparno Ghosh’s films have actually made me an actor. He has been my mentor, guide, philosopher and friend.
You have touched upon many genres of work. So what are the factors that you look into when you select a role?
When I hear or read a script, I do it as an audience. I don’t just go by my character. The story has to first of all, appeal to me as an audience. If it does, I get into reading more about my character. I believe in playing characters which are important and meaty. If you take out the character from the project, the story should stop. I look for such characters when I go through a script. The number of scenes or length of the role does not matter to me. But what matters is its importance.
Getting back again to you picking your best movies so far, can you give us the names.
I have answered that the best is yet to come. But yes, there are few characters in which people have loved me immensely. Recently, there was a film called Ek Je Chhilo Raja which was a drama film by Srijit Mukherji. Also there was another film of Srijit called Rajkahini. Films of Rituparno Ghosh, Chitrangada and Abohomaan need special mention.
How has the web platform treated you?
I have done few web projects. There was one on Netflix (Typrwriter) and another on ZEE5 (Skyfire). I have never differentiated between television, films, theatre and the web. I am an actor. The medium can be anything. If I choose a role, I give my 100% and the medium does not matter to me.
What are the projects coming?
The next film releasing is on Hotstar. I am shooting for a Bengali film as well as a Hindi film. There is also a web-series.
You are part of Sadak 2. The recent promo was trolled in a big way. Your thoughts on it.
It trended as No1. People might hate it, might love it. But no one can ignore the film, right!! I am sure people will love the film when they watch it. Mahesh Bhattji is directing after 21 years. You will certainly feel his touch in the film. I am a huge fan of Maheshji.