The only singing-star in Bengali cinema

His smashing looks can easily sidetrack any wannabe hero. Shaheb Chatterjee,the only singing-star in Bengali cinema,got his first acting break in Baaji. The film starring Prosenjit did not do very well but Shaheb got noticed. He is presently in the news for his latest release Laboratory.

His smashing looks can easily sidetrack any wannabe hero. Shaheb Chatterjee,the only singing-star in Bengali cinema,got his first acting break in Baaji. The film starring Prosenjit did not do very well but Shaheb got noticed. He is presently in the news for his latest release Laboratory.

Was the commercial failure of Baaji a disappointment considering it was your first film?
Not at all. The film got me recognition among the masses. In rural Bengal,where it did reasonably good business,the audience liked my dialogue delivery and songs from the film. I got noticed. Life is a game; you win some,you lose some. The film brought me other offers.

Is Laboratory your first celluloid brush with Rabindranath Tagore?
No,it is not. I have worked in several films based on Tagores literary works. Among them are Robibar,a telefilm,stage-plays like Konkaal,Arup Ratan,Laboratory and Phalguni. I also did Mon Amour Shesher Kobita Revisited,which has allegorical replays of Tagores Shesher Kobita in a contemporary ambience with a slightly different storyline. I sang two Tagore songs in the film. Tagores music and literature are an integral part of my being. Working in any performing art based on Tagores creation is an experience in itself. It takes the actor to a completely different plane.

How did the role in Laboratory come about?
Director Raja Sen called me up and said he had a surprise for me. I am a great fan of his since I saw Damu,which won the National Award. I had a dream of working with him. So,when he told me I would be playing Rebati Bhushan,the young scientist in Laboratory,I was overjoyed. Rajada gave me a lot of freedom to put my own inputs into the spineless character of Rebati who has no mind of his own. There are other shades such as his deep attachment for the widowed aunt who brought him up,his tug-of-war between the laboratory he is given charge of and his intense pull towards Neela who seduces him constantly. There was a lot of flexibility because Rajada had confidence in me.

Were you nervous about sharing screen space with a Bollywood actress like Raveena Tandon?
There is no scope to feel nervous with such a grounded actress like Raveenaji. She is simply great in the way she carries herself on and off the sets,the way she hobnobs with everyone around – these are things one can learn from. Besides,I shared screen space with Prosenjit for my first film and with Rituparna Sengupta in my second film. Both are not only humble,but also go all out to help any newcomer they work with. I was more nervous about portraying a Tagore character than sharing screen space with Raveenaji. Bringing a Tagore character to life on screen is too big a social responsibility for any actor. The challenge is also big. This nervousness is not only natural but also necessary for the pressure needed to bring a character like Rebati alive on screen.

To which forthcoming releases are you looking forward?
I am playing the main role in Brishtir Chhayachhobi directed by actor Dulal Lahiri. Rituparna plays my romantic interest. Then there is Basu Chatterjees rollicking comedy Kalidas O Chemistry opposite Sreelekha Mitra. Shukla Mitras Teen Tonoya is another ambitious project I am looking forward to. The film is based on three Tagore poems and I feature in one of these poems. I have also sung two lovely Tagore songs in the film. I have never got repetitive or stereotypical roles. In Riingos Jodi Ek Din,I played a surrealistic magician. In Riingos telefilm The Cottage,a thriller,I have done a character no one would ever have imagined me playing. I am shaped to be romantic actor. Action hero roles are not my cup of tea.