00:00So, welcome Jishu sir to INS. It is an absolute pleasure to have you with Vikasam.
00:05Thank you so much. Thank you.
00:06So firstly, Challah is signing this entire poster, the trailer, the teaser, everything looks fab from audience perspective.
00:13We want to know have you gone through it and how thrilled and excited are you for the release?
00:18Of course I am. There's no two ways about it. Working with Priyadarshan sir is like a dream come true.
00:26Priyadarshan sir and me, we go a long way back, actually we know each other for quite some time.
00:33There's a tournament called CCL, Celebrity Cricket League, where he was, now he is not a part of it,
00:40but he was an owner of a team, the Malayalam team which we have, Kerala Striker.
00:47So, I think in 2012 or 2013, we got to know each other and I told him, sir, I really
00:55want to work with you.
00:57And it was a little bit of time, but in 2015 we shot the film and it was a great,
01:04great experience.
01:05And of course, Akshay sir is there, Parejji is there, the entire cast was brilliant, the crew was brilliant.
01:16And Priyadarshan sir as a director, we all know, if he is doing a serious film, it is a serious
01:21film.
01:22If he is doing a comedy, horror comedy, then it is, he sets the platform, he sets the bar.
01:28And I think this is one notch, thora upari hai, when it comes, when it releases, people will get to
01:36know.
01:37You know, when we talk about Priyadarshan movies, right, and from the audience of journalism point of view,
01:42we call that the Priyadarshan universe, is worse, right?
01:45And when we talk about Akshay Kumar, when we talk about Rajpar Yadhar sir, when we talk about Parish sir,
01:50all of them have worked with Priyadarshan for so many of movies, right?
01:54How difficult or easy was it for you to, you know, sit in and make that space?
01:57The first couple of days, he, you know, I was, I was really, how would I put it?
02:04I wouldn't say I was tensed, but I was, you know, working with the Priyadarshan.
02:13And on the set, he is, he's a very chilled out director, first and foremost.
02:17He's having fun on set. He is, you know, taking advices from everyone.
02:22I mean, Akshay sir, Akshay Paji came and said, you know, sir, how are you doing this?
02:28He said, yes, this is a good thing. Let's do it. So he's like that.
02:32And the first couple of days, I was little, you know, because he used to say cut and he used
02:38to say next shot.
02:39So I was thinking, yaar, thora baat, thither udar ho ra hai shair.
02:42So I went and asked Abhilash who is the next in command.
02:47I said, Abhilash, yaar, sir, he's not seeing anything. Is it okay?
02:50No, no, no, Jishu sir, everything is fine. He's like this only.
02:54Then, you know, after two, three days, I was little okay.
02:57If he's not okay, he will come and tell you. If he's okay, he will not tell you anything.
03:02So, but it's fun to work with him. There's no two ways.
03:05But we had a lot of fun. In fact, me and Priyadarshan sir, we had, I was the only actor
03:10in London where we shot.
03:11There was a schedule in London and we had so much fun out there also.
03:19Can you tell us a little about your role in Bhut?
03:22That I can't. I'm a part of this film. I'm a part of this film and I'm acting in this
03:32movie called Bhut Bangla.
03:33But yeah, you know why I'll tell you. It is a film where every character has got a very significant
03:42role in the film.
03:44Where if I say my part, I have to actually say Akshay Baji's part.
03:51Then I have to mention what Tabu is doing in the film. Then I have to mention what Parishji is
03:56also doing in the film.
03:57So, by saying what my character is all about, I have to tell you the story. So, which I don't
04:02want to.
04:03Okay. Okay. You know, I just wanted to know that, I mean since we are talking about Priyadarshan sir, which
04:09has been your favorite movie?
04:11Loads. Loads.
04:12That you can, I remember I mean in INSCA interview, Priyadarshan sir said that while audiences laugh at the movies
04:19that have made, they've seen the scenes 20-30 times but they laugh with the same intensity.
04:23Absolutely.
04:23But I don't laugh anymore in my movies because I feel that comedy is done just a poor business for
04:29me.
04:29Oh shit. I don't know about that.
04:31No, but the serious films which he has done down south in Malayalam, I think those are incredible films which
04:40he has done.
04:41The serious kind of cinemas which he has done.
04:42And people, we know him as a director who has directed say a Halchal or a Malamal Weekly or a
04:53Bhul Bhulaiya.
04:54But the kind of films which he has done, you know, I can't just pick and choose one and say,
04:59you know, this is my favorite film or something like that.
05:02But I think his one director, I'm sure any actor who is watching right now or who is not watching
05:11in India would love to work with him.
05:15So yeah, I'm one of those lucky ones who got an opportunity to work with him.
05:20When we talk about the kind of projects that you have done, not just in Malayalam, throughout your career, right?
05:27I wanted to know that considering over these years, if we talk about the content or the project that you
05:34want to take up, what kind of scripts drive you to a project?
05:39You know, I'm my mentor, I would say, Rituparana Bhush. I've worked with him in almost six films, five films
05:47as director and one film I acted with him also.
05:51So he was my mentor and he said something to me, you know, which stayed with me and which I
05:59follow.
06:01When I hear a story, if I take out my character, if the story is still complete or it is
06:09incomplete, if the story is incomplete without my character, I will play that role.
06:13So that's how I choose my films. It can be one scene in the entire film. It can be the
06:20entire film I'm there.
06:22So it doesn't matter to me. What matters to me is the importance of the character which I've been offered.
06:27So yeah.
06:29You worked in Bengali, you worked in Bollywood. I do want to know that what kind of difference do you
06:34feel?
06:34Because Southwars is Bollywood. I want to watch this version.
06:38It's only the money. We complete average Bengali films budget would be around what? 3CR?
06:47Yeah. So most of them, I would say. Yeah, there are films which are 9CR, 8CRs. But they are probably
06:57one in two years or one in three years.
07:01The average Bengali cinema is 3CR. It can be 2.5, it can be 3.5 max. So that's the
07:08only difference.
07:09You know, we complete a film. Average, we complete a film within 16 to 18 days with songs, with 3,
07:154 songs in it. We complete it.
07:18And here, we can't even think of, you know, completing. If I see a big-budget film, say, Aaini Sanjani
07:26Labansali film, one song will take 8 days or 10 days.
07:34So yeah, that's the only difference, the money part. Otherwise, you know, the technician we have. There are a lot
07:39of Bengalis who are working in Bollywood right now.
07:41There are so many technicians. So many DOPs are there. Shudeep Da is there who works with Sanjani Labansali and
07:49also has been doing work here.
07:53There are so many. You talk about the music directors. Preetam is there. Shantun Omotru is there. There are many
08:01Bengalis here.
08:02And so yeah, difference. Technician-wise, talent-wise, there is no difference. It's only the money part.
08:10I mean, now that we are talking about Bengali, you know, the intersection in Bollywood, right? It reminds me of
08:17Hushike Shukwadji.
08:18Of course. Jaya Bhattu.
08:20Absolutely. Absolutely.
08:22So, while growing up, how much of an impact did these Bengali Bollywood actors have on you?
08:28Not at all, because my father was an actor, a theatre actor, primarily. But my mother used to say one
08:35actor in the family is enough for the family.
08:36So, I was never into acting. I was a cricketer. I played for Bengali under 19. I was a drummer.
08:41I'm still a drummer. I have a band.
08:43So, I was into music and cricket. I was never into studies. So, but then by default, today, almost 30
08:51years, I'm going to complete next year.
08:53So yeah, it's been in the industry. So, I've never, I still don't watch films, by the way. I have
08:59never watched my films. I think a couple of them I've watched.
09:01I love Tom and Jerry. I love watching the Marvels and the DCs. The Batman, Superman. I love watching them.
09:10I love action films, which is mindless.
09:13Not the action which has got little sense into it. No, I don't want to watch them. So yeah, these
09:17are the films which I really watch.
09:19But I have not watched any of my films which I have acted in. Which I hate myself when I
09:26see myself. The hate word is really harsh. But yeah, I don't like myself. So yeah, I don't watch it.
09:33So, I've never watched it. While growing up, I was never into films. No, no.
09:40You know, when we talk about songs, I mean, when we talk about the culture that Bengalis come from.
09:46Mm-hmm. We have Robin Shongi. We have so many other songs. And the art and culture. Right. It is
09:50the diversity of joy for the people.
09:52Right. Right.
09:53Visually, when we come to Bollywood, the kind of lyrics I talk about. When we have Robin Shongi, who's written
09:59such meaningful, delightful songs,
10:01and when we talk about certain lyrics over here at times, where we just find them in land of controversies
10:08because of some kind of wrong words or whatsoever.
10:11When you hear such songs in Bollywood, do you know what goes through your mind as a Bengali? Because we...
10:20It doesn't matter. I hear Gulzar sahab also. You're not mentioning Gulzar sahab. You're not mentioning Javed sahab. Why not?
10:27Don't just tap into the controversy. No, why? Why? You don't need to. You know, what you want to listen,
10:32you listen. What you don't want to listen, don't listen.
10:34It is absolutely up to you. You know, if you... I can comment on something which might create a controversy
10:42back in Bengal, which I don't want to.
10:45What I want to do is, why create negativity while there's so much of negativity around us?
10:53Because I'm a very positive guy, and I would love to hear Gulzar sahab, I would love to hear Javed
10:59sahab, and which I do.
11:01There are other lyricists who have done incredible work in Bollywood, not only in Bollywood, in Marathi, in Punjabi, down
11:09south, and of course in Bengal.
11:12And, you know, you can't compare Rabinath Tagore with any of them also. And in fact, I would not even
11:19compare Gulzar sahab or Javed sahab to someone else also.
11:22So, you know, it is up to you what you want to listen. There will be creators who are going
11:27to create what they know best. And I can't blame them by doing it because people are listening to them.
11:35So, you can't blame the lyricist for writing it and creating a song by the music director, which creates a
11:42controversy.
11:43But, there are the most views and likes of it. So, why are you listening to it? If you don't
11:49like it, don't listen to it. Plain and simple.
11:53You know, I remember Priyanka Chopra at once said that when she was an established tactics in Bollywood, and she
11:59just switched to Bollywood. She had gone from the scratch, grassroot level.
12:02How difficult, and you, Bengal, and when you come here, right, how difficult or easy was it for you to
12:10kind of start from the scratch?
12:11Because we come from preconceived notion that we are set, and then we are uncomfortable.
12:19I would say my team has really forced me. And I would say about my manager, she has pushed me
12:27a lot. You know, you should come out of your zone and start doing work outside Bengal.
12:33And which I was not very keen on because, as you said, I was very happy in my own zone.
12:39But then when I started it, I won't say it was difficult because people, especially all the Bengali directors out
12:46here,
12:46like Pradeep Sarkar, Anurag Basu, Sujoy Ghosh, Shudit Sarkar, I have worked, I think, with all of them. Yeah, I
12:54have worked with all of them.
12:55So they knew the kind of work which I have done, the kind of industry I come from. So it
13:01was easier for me here. Look, how you look at it, you can say it was really difficult.
13:07I have worked with all of them. It doesn't matter to me. Today also, if my car is not working,
13:18I will take a rickshaw and I can go. I have no problem with that.
13:28So I will not see me going in an auto as a struggle. It's fine. There are thousand, lakhs, crore
13:37of people who are going in autos and cycles and doing this.
13:42It's fine. I can say it. I have struggled a lot. I have struggled a lot. It is about how
13:49you put it, how you see it. Yeah. So I have not struggled.
14:11I will answer this very simple. I was not in the film. Please go and watch it. No, it's not
14:17that. Please go and watch it because I think Priyalashan sir is coming back with it.
14:23With a bang. And I can assure you, this is nothing like Bhulbhalaya. This is very different. This is a
14:32horror comedy.
14:34Bhulbhalaya, I won't say it was a horror comedy. It was a psychological thriller, I would say. And Akshay Paji
14:42and Priyalashan sir are coming together after so many years. Just go and watch it.
14:47Just one last question. This is a lot of news that the movie is getting postponed to the 17th or
14:53something like that?
14:54I don't know. It's written here. It's written here. It's written here.
14:58Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
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