'Waited for the right script, story, character': Prosenjit about his role in Jubilee

Kolkata: Bengali superstar Prosenjit Chatterjee said after working 40-years in the film industry adapting to new technology like OTT platform and getting acceptance is always challenging.

The 60-year-old, who debuted in the OTT platform with the web series 'Jubilee' on Amazon Prime, told PTI on Wednesday that he has no regrets about anything in life and has respect for contemporaries in Indian film industry who have reached where they have by their large volume of work and talent.

"I was waiting for the right debut. After 40 years adapting to a new technology, working to get acceptance is always challenging. You have to exercise your patience for the right script, you have to take risk in life, to step out (of the crease) and hit. Most importantly you have to believe this is the future," Prosenjit, who had acted in over 350 films, ranging from Amar Sangi, Chokher Bali to Moner Manush, explained when asked how he felt to have debuted in web series.

"After Autograph 10-11 years had passed and I decided to go for it when I liked the script, the narrative. In Jubilee, the whole India is watching. And it is so satisfying to work with these people (in Mumbai). They show me respect and they know my volume of works, they know what I am capable of. They tell me Dada, please come here and leave Kolkata but I have no such plans," Prosenjit said.

"All through my career I had always waited for the right script, right character, right director, right subject," he said.

Asked to comment on his experience to work for OTT medium for the first time, the Mayurakshi actor said "it is always a satisfying experience to work in any medium. I had done hardcrore mainstream films at one time - blockbusters like Sasurbari Zindabad (2000), Deva (2002), Pratibad (2002) and I had also done Chokher Bali (2003). I had done Mayanayak (2017) for the small screen as well as Kagojer Bou for the small screen. If you deliver good work, you can adapt to any medium." The acclaimed actor, who had got National Award Special Jury for his portrayal in Dosar (2007), said he is ready to do a web series in Bengali if the role is challenging, mounted on a big scale.

Asked to comment on reports that he could not give date to a big Hindi project in 1989 due to date commitments to Bengali projects, Prosenjit said "let's don't discuss it anymore. Where is the need?' He then said after a pause, "I don't have any regret about anything. I think whoever has done this role is undoubtedly a big star, having a great contribution to Indian cinema." "I think my biggest rewarding moment comes when I get compliment for my portrayal as fictional mercurial Bengali writer Balmiki Sengupta in feature film Sesh Pata or studio boss Srikant Roy in web series Jubilee which are being seen by the audiences at the same time," he said.

Creative Director Vikramaditya Motwane, who made films like Udaan, Lootera, Trapped, said even though the name of the series Jubilee is an English word having its association with movies, more than that it is a celebration, which invokes nostalgia.

"We did it (naming) deliberately. The web series is themed on the golden age of Hindi film industry, It is about the music era associated with the names like O P Nayyar, Salilda (Salil Choudhury), S D Burman who had been in the horizon around the same time," he added.

Motwane said none but Prosenjit Chatterjee could portray the character of Srikant Roy, boss of the illustrious Roy Talkies.

Aditi Rao Hydari, Aparshakti Khurana, Sidhant Gupta are among the other members of the ensemble cast of the 10-episode series - divided into two seats - streamed on April 7 and Apriil 14.