Mumbai: In an exclusive interview with actor Anupam Bhattacharya, where he discussed his return to television after a six-year hiatus with the show "Ishani," a spin-off where he played a complex character, Shashwat Sengupta. He shared his experience working on OTT platforms like "Khakee: The Bengal Chapter" and films like "War 2" with Hrithik Roshan and Jr. NTR. Anupam talked about the differences between television, OTT, and film, emphasizing the unique strengths of each medium. He expressed his preference for impactful roles over screen time and highlighted the importance of strong storytelling on any platform.
00:00You were far away from TV and now I am returning to the spin-off with Ishani, so what do you think is that the TV industry is more difficult to create a place in the industry?
00:11Yes, I have said that after 5-6 years I will show a show before.
00:19Before I showed my last show, it was a Muslim social on-z.
00:24When you are far away from a particular medium, because I have done a lot of work in TV and I have done a lot of work.
00:42After that, the quality of the roles is slightly dip.
00:49So, I had thought that I had a vacuum created in the television.
00:57I was a little bit closer to the mediums, but I was focused on the other mediums.
01:01Like Biff Films, OTT, Ad Films, I have done close to more than 100 ad films.
01:08In fact, OTT may have done Layla on Netflix.
01:12More recently, Khaki, the Bengal chapter.
01:16And the films like Furray, Teen, Body, The Body.
01:23So, I was involved mostly in these engagements.
01:28Now, coming back to TV, what happens is that television is a lot of competition at television.
01:36And when you stay far away from one thing, this is also a factor that you will drown very quickly.
01:43This means that your recognition will fade and your relevance will lower.
01:53So, I felt like after 5-6 years of work, that maybe my relevance will be working on television and I should kind of get back to television.
02:05Only for the fact that television has a huge market.
02:09And your recognition is very instant from television.
02:13So, I was looking to get back into television.
02:25Only for the fact that I was watching good roles.
02:29The roles that drive the story.
02:31Even if it's negative or positive, I don't have to worry about it.
02:34But I was looking for a role which is more accomplished.
02:38And then I came across this show called Jhanak.
02:47Where I was offered a role in it.
02:50But that role was a part of Ishani.
02:52So, this was a part of one story.
02:55In which Jhanak was working for a certain number of time.
02:59And then it started to be Ishani.
03:01And I was involved in Ishani.
03:03And after that, it was a spin-off.
03:04After that, it was a separate show.
03:06Now, if I'm talking about the role, I really liked it.
03:10Because this role was a bit complex.
03:12Shashwat Sen Gupta's role.
03:14He's a rich businessman.
03:17A widower.
03:18His wife was two or three years ago.
03:21He belongs to a very high start-off society in Kolkata.
03:26His reputation is very high.
03:29So, His wife was two and a half years ago.
03:34When his wife had become a bad story,
03:36He had become a strong woman
03:38And now he had become a strong woman.
03:42He was very tall.
03:43He had become a strong woman.
03:44He's not a bad girl or the young man.
03:45He's even a bad girl.
03:46So, the woman's status of the role of her husband.
03:48His wife was one of the other.
03:49He has become a strong woman.
03:50And after this, he gave us a decision.
03:51He became a manager that
03:52He came to the other young girl with a girl.
03:54As such, not exactly out of love, not in the beginning, one doesn't know, but not to start with.
04:08And this character, Shashwar, is very egoistic, male, chauvinist.
04:15So, I have kept it in the zone,
04:19where it is typically negative, or typically positive, or grey,
04:24they also kept it complex.
04:26Meaning, how can it react to what time, it is difficult to predict.
04:31So, the character, the story is matured, so characters are matured.
04:45And this is a typical television content.
04:51It is matured content.
04:54And this is why people like it.
04:57Sir, how do you feel a connection in your character?
05:02If you say that you have seen a lot of drama in your character in your personal life?
05:06Look, character is the one that I can't relate with.
05:12I don't exactly relate with character or Shashwar.
05:15But, character is prevalent in our society.
05:18So, I have to relate to it.
05:22But, many other people can relate to it.
05:26Because, this is a typical patriarchal situation.
05:31Or, his word is the final word.
05:35And, his wife, or the better part,
05:41actually, you know, inferior way.
05:45You know, they just say,
05:47that his work is only going home.
05:48Or, his work is only going home.
05:49Or, his work is only going home.
05:50Or, his work is only going home.
05:51Or, his work is only going home.
05:52Or, the fact of the matter is that,
05:54his education is not complete.
05:56Ishani, the character.
05:57His education is not complete.
06:01So, naturally,
06:03which is not complete,
06:04he's not a confident character in itself.
06:09He is always trying to prove his acceptance in society.
06:12He is trying to put in his own way.
06:14He is trying to build his wisdom in his own way.
06:16He is trying to build a place in our house.
06:18He is trying to build a place where he is living in his house.
06:22So, he is trying to do this.
06:24He is trying to do this.
06:26He does not complete his education.
06:27But, he is trying to do this.
06:28The challenge for his daughter.
06:29My daughter helps me to complete my education.
06:35So I don't want to know about it, but that's the part of the story.
06:38Sir, TV, OTT and films have done everything in which medium has more fun.
06:43And what are the OTT shows now challenging the traditional dramas of TV?
06:48See, I feel that every medium has its own content, TV caters to a certain kind of audience.
07:03So that's why the content is restricted to that audience, which is mostly women who are watching it.
07:14And B-Town centers and all that.
07:19So that's why some things are relevant for them.
07:24Whereas OTT has got a more open market.
07:28Creatively, it has got more liberties.
07:34So it can cater more and larger audiences.
07:40And as far as films are concerned, films are made for a big screen experience.
07:44So every medium has its own place.
07:48And I feel that that is why its importance is so big.
07:53If you do OTT, you will get a different feel.
07:58If you do film, you will get a different result.
08:00And if you do TV, you will get a different benefit.
08:05Definitely.
08:06Sir, what was your role in War 2?
08:08And how did you work with Ritik and Junior NTR?
08:11How did you work with them?
08:12Did you feel that they were in the shadows?
08:15No, absolutely not.
08:17First of all, it was a fantastic opportunity to work with Yash Raj.
08:23First of all, for an actor, it's a very big thing.
08:26You have always thought that you will work with the shadows.
08:31But you are getting the opportunity here.
08:33It is a film directed by Ayan Mukherjee.
08:36And of course, there are big actors like Ritik Roshan and Junior NTR.
08:40But fortunately or unfortunately, they are not in my scene.
08:44Like my scene is an individual.
08:47Yes, maybe Junior NTR's scene is going parallelly.
08:50But they are not in my scene.
08:52So that is why there is no chance to be overshadowed.
08:55I am carrying my own scene.
08:57And I am happy that, you know, Ayan was happy with my work.
09:02Sir, Khaki, the Bengal chapter is a lot of hit on OTT.
09:07Some people say that the OTT content is a little bit sensational.
09:11So, do you think that your character is unnecessary to be over the top?
09:17No.
09:18I feel that the characters were well defined here.
09:23And my role was very compact.
09:25So, I didn't feel like you were over the top.
09:31I think they are very much within the definition of the show.
09:36Neeraj Pandey is a great filmmaker with a super vision.
09:40They are very good.
09:41They are very good.
09:42They are very good.
09:43They have a great reputation in the industry.
09:46This show was directed by Devatma Mandel, who is again a very competent director.
09:52So, their vision was very good.
09:54It was based on the fact that there was a social, you know, that economic structure of Kolkata around a certain time.
10:03And that they wanted crime syndicate to that time.
10:07So, they did it in a very good way.
10:10And my role is senior IPS officer.
10:13But the role was very important.
10:15This is why the hero is also in that position.
10:20But because he was a political party,
10:23he was not prepared for this kind of syndicate to handle it.
10:27And it turns out that he didn't get a competent.
10:31So, there were some light moments for this character.
10:37So, that was the only part that was light in the entire show.
10:42So, it was very different than other characters.
10:45Yes.
10:46In social media, the game of followers and numbers is important to everyone.
10:50Do you think that actors are just talking about likes and likes?
10:57I don't think it's like that.
11:00I've never heard of Instagram followers.
11:06I'm not an actor.
11:07I'm not an actor.
11:08I don't sell my acting so much.
11:11I focus on that I'll display my acting on a good platform.
11:18Instagram is for me.
11:19I'll tell you about it.
11:20It will be important for others.
11:22I'm not taking that away.
11:24But Instagram is for me just for fun.
11:27I've gone somewhere and put my pictures in my house.
11:29Or I put my party in my house.
11:31I put my pictures in my house.
11:32Or I don't have any pressure that I have to add content.
11:35I have to add content to make followers.
11:38I don't think I'm made for that.
11:41If I go somewhere and say that I've done my work.
11:44Or if a director asks me to tell me about your body of work.
11:48Then I go and say that I can't say that I've made 500 reals.
11:51And I'll tell you about what I've done in the film.
11:54What I've done in the film.
11:55What I've done in the film.
11:56What I've done in the film.
11:57So for me, it's not so important.
11:59Yes.
12:00Sir, do you want to do film scenes like movies?
12:02Do you want to do film movies?
12:03Like action drama or anything else?
12:05Or a thriller.
12:06What you all do?
12:07Honestly, film is such a medium.
12:12It's such a medium.
12:13If you get a film to do film, it's a very big thing.
12:17Because the film is very satisfying.
12:22It's a larger than life.
12:23This thing.
12:24You can see a lot of things in a big circle.
12:26So definitely, it's a different thing.
12:28It's a different thing.
12:30And like in the film, the little characters get a lot of exposure.
12:38So it's not the question.
12:39It's not that the little characters get a lot of exposure.
12:42No.
12:43If you've done one scene, half or two scenes, you can make a market.
12:47If you've done a film, you'll definitely get a lot of exposure.
12:51So I feel that, you know, the films, you have to do a small role.
12:58You have to do it.
13:00So, let's talk about War 2.
13:01So, let's talk about War 2.
13:02I'm going to play a character about War 2.
13:05I play a commanding officer, Navy ship commander.
13:12And it was obviously that needed a character.
13:18It was needed somebody with a good personality.
13:21And they worked on my look.
13:23It was a salt and paper look.
13:26And what can I say, it's a, the role is compact.
13:33It's a small role.
13:34But I think it has got a lot of importance and a lot of significance in the story.
13:38So, when you can see it, I can't say that I can't reveal it.
13:41Because it's due to release next month.
13:45So, you will definitely see it.
13:47And tell us how you feel.
13:49Sir, because it's still a classic show.
13:54So, what do you feel like?
13:56Is it still going to be more creative stagnation?
13:59Or is it still going to be more creative stagnation?
14:02No.
14:03I don't want to say that it's still a creative stagnation.
14:08Because today, we are trying to do new programs.
14:15I don't want to say that it's still going to be more creative.
14:18It's quite a different show than other television shows.
14:22But, it's a huge success.
14:26It's a show that created magic.
14:29It created records in our industry.
14:31It's not easy to think about it.
14:36But, it's also a phase that was a change.
14:39And it was a time that was a audience.
14:41So, the audience is not the same as the response to this kind of audience.
14:50You have to remember that the show is a big show.
14:55But, it will compete with today's successful shows.
15:00So, your content is strong enough.
15:02Only on this basis that Sazbi was a big name.
15:05And Smithy, Rekta and this combination.
15:08So, you can expect results.
15:11That sounds more like a gimmick.
15:15But, if your content is good.
15:17And it's relevant for today's generation.
15:20So, definitely, it will be a success.
15:22But, it will have to compete with other successful stories which are going around.
15:26Sir, Big Boss's offer.
15:28So, what are we going to do?
15:29Do you think that these shows will give you more chance to expose you?
15:33Or do you think that these shows are just for drama and controversy?
15:37I think that these shows are just for drama and controversy.
15:41If you get good money, you can do it.
15:45But, as an actor, it doesn't move.
15:48As an actor, it doesn't do anything to me.
15:51So, I am not really looking forward to it.
15:54But, never say never.
15:56If there is a situation that is favourable, you can do it.
16:00But, otherwise, I am not a reality show kind of actor.
16:07I am very happy with the kind of work that I am doing.
16:10But, this is the fact that it is a fun and charm of reality shows.
16:16The ones who suit and the ones who feel good.
16:19Sir, lastly, what are the future predictions?
16:22And what are the messages you want to give to your fans?
16:24Sure.
16:25See, future projects are one of the things that will come in the future.
16:29And, another thing, I have done a show with TVF.
16:32Most likely, for Amazon.
16:34Which Amazon, I don't know whether it's Amazon Mini or Amazon Prime.
16:37That I don't know myself.
16:39But, it's a army based show.
16:41It's a very good show.
16:42And, TVF is known for coming up with very good content.
16:46So, I am very very hopeful.
16:47And, yes, I would like to give a message to my audience.
16:53That means that, you know, you love on television.
16:57You love your shows, stories, actors.
17:01Give a little opportunity.
17:03If you create a different kind of content, you love them.
17:07So, as producers and actors, we can be diverse.
17:13We don't have a creative lock.
17:15We don't want to be in a company.
17:16We don't want to be in a company.
17:17We want to be in a company.
17:18We want to be in a company.
17:20But, it's not possible without the audience and cooperation.
