Bengal minister-actor ‘Bratya Basu’ essays cop in dark thriller

Speaking on the sets of Kalkiyug, where Bratya is in the role of an IPS officer, Basu said that today directors are less bothered about the audience backing and are more concerned about handling unconventional subjects.

Actor-turned-minister Bratya Basu says Bengali directors are now experimenting with the thriller genre mustering the courage to try unconventional subjects. Speaking on the sets of Kalkiyug, where he is in the role of an IPS officer, Basu said that today directors are less bothered about the audience backing and are more concerned about handling unconventional subjects.

“Yes, we are having more of adult thrillers then maramari(actionbased) kind of films. Looking at the global profile of Bengalis, the subject of our thrillers are also evolving,” Basu said describing Debarati Gupta’s second film Kalkiyug as a psycho thriller of sorts. About sharing screen space for the first time with school friend and theatre personality Debshankar Haldar, Basu said, “We have been collaborating on stage for long. Without him, my two important works Ruddhasangeet and Winkle Twinkle would not have been possible.”

“However, in Muktodhara despite being part of the cast, we were not pitted against each other. So Kalkiyug is our first film together,” said Basu who is even portraying the real life character of a mercurial playwright of ’70s in Debesh Chatterjee’s Natoker Mato. Referring to the title, Basu said it is a fusion between the phrase Kaliyug and the Kalki, the apocalyptic avatar of Vishnu and indicated the ensuing confusion prevalent in present times. Basu essays an ACP in the film produced by Macneill Media Pvt Ltd.