Prosenjit Chatterjee believes Neeraj Pandey’s Khakee: The Bengal Chapter will get Bengali cinema global exposure: ‘Been fighting for this industry for 35-40 years’

Also Read: Khakee The Bengal Chapter trailer: Neeraj Pandey stirs up quite the storm, Prosenjit Chatterjee says, ‘If a character gives me sleepless nights, I never discuss the money’

‘A global platform for the Bengali industry’

Sharing his motivation for joining the project, Prosenjit said that his main goal was to put the Bengali industry on the global map.

“For me, Neeraj was, of course, an important factor. But above all, it was about Bengal. We have been fighting for this industry for the last 35-40 years, and this kind of exposure—with Neeraj Pandey and Netflix—is crucial for us. I represent my industry, I love it, and I work for it, which is why I chose to do this. Not only are many of the actors from Bengal, but the entire show is based here, giving us tremendous global exposure,” he said.

The pan-Indian wave and Bengali cinema

When asked if he felt the Bengali industry had been left behind while the South Indian film industry surged ahead, Prosenjit shared a broader perspective.

“I don’t have a definite answer to that, but this pan-India culture only emerged two-three years ago. I was part of Chokher Bali, directed by Rituparno Ghosh, and I worked with Mani Ratnam in Ponniyin Selvan 2—both films were watched across India,” he said.

“There was no calculation behind it. If a film is good, everybody will watch it. Now, with the advent of new technology and OTT platforms, content is getting wider exposure. We have the opportunity to watch content from all over. Local OTT platforms in Bengal are also doing great. To be honest, literature is our strength, and this show will help us integrate into the mainstream,” he said.

Inspired by legends

Having spent nearly five decades in the industry, Prosenjit credits legendary actors for shaping his journey.

“I am a huge fan of Soumitra Chatterjee and Amitabh Bachchan. I always see how they change themselves for their performances—they are like my chapters of learning. My friends have also been my guiding force. If I did something wrong, they told me. If I did something right, they told me. And, of course, the audience gave me my biggest lessons. When theatres were houseful, I knew I had done something right. When they weren’t, I knew I had gone wrong,” he said.

The challenge of OTT storytelling

Speaking about his experience working on Khakee: The Bengal Chapter, Prosenjit shed light on the challenges of long-form storytelling.

“There are so many subjects you can’t explore in films, not even in mainstream cinema, due to various limitations. But OTT platforms give us that freedom. A show like Khakee is equal to making three films. As actors, it’s really difficult. We have to do a character for two hours in a film, be that character for 30 days or so, but for this, it was a long process. You had to be with the character for so long, it’s tough. But, I enjoyed that in Jubilee and then Khakee.”

Apart from Prosenjit Chatterjee, the series features an ensemble cast, including Saswata Chatterjee, Parambrata Chatterjee, Adil Khan, Jeet Madnani, Ritvik Bhowmik, Chitrangda Singh, and Pooja Chopra. Directed by Debatma Mandal and Tushar Kanti Ray, the show is set to premiere on 20 March on Netflix India.