It has been two years since we saw Chandan Roy Sanyal in a commercial Bollywood film. The talented actor was last seen in Shah Rukh Khan-Anushka Sharma starrer Jab Harry Met Sejal and Saif Ali Khan’s Chef, which released in 2017. He was also a part of Nandita Das’ critically acclaimed Manto.
As for the gap of two years, Chandan replies, “There is no particular reason. I choose projects which interest me from what’s offered to me. I also do a few Bengali films, which keeps me busy.”
The actor will next be seen in a pivotal role in Jabariya Jodi, which also features Sidharth Malhotra and Parineeti Chopra. The film, releasing on August 9, has been directed by Prashant Singh. It has been produced by Ekta Kapoor, Shobha Kapoor and Shailesh R Singh.
Chandan plays the role of Guddu in Jabariya Jodi. Ask him what’s Guddu like and he replies, “Guddu is a flamboyant guy who is funny and quite innocent. He considers Abhay’s (played by Sidharth) dad as his own because he has lost his parents. He enjoys the process of kidnapping men and getting them married. Guddu is not tech-savvy — he doesn’t know how to use mobile phone or internet.”
This is the first time Chandan is sharing screen with the Baar Baar Dekho actor. “The two of us are together in every scene. Guddu and Abhay are quite similar in certain ways, so for the characters to work, we had to gel as actors. It started from workshops, rehearsals to working on the set everyday. We spent two and half months on the film. We almost became one unit. We used to have fun, share food and behave like the characters we are in the film. We used to chat about our journey because both of us come from Delhi. We ended up becoming friends and that shows in the film,” says Chandan.
As far as his stint in Bengali film is concerned, Chandan has recently shot a film titled Deep6, directed by Madhuja Mukherjee. He has also starred in films like Ganesh Talkies, Mahanagar@Kolkatta and others. So how different are the two industries? “Hindi films have changed a lot over the years. The game has changed, it grabs more eyeballs and there is lot of investment. There is more use of technology and more artists. It’s lot of razzmatazz. Bollywood is heavy-duty now. Every film festival wants to open with Bollywood films,” he says, adding, “Compared to that, the Bengali film industry is quiet and smaller in size. They make different kind of cinema. Everyone knows each other. The resources are less, so is the budget and if you know the language, it helps. People are friendlier too.”
In Deep6, Chandan worked with Tillotama Shome and they completed the work in 22 days. “There were no vanity vans, we were walking on the streets and shooting. It’s an experience for any actor. It brings you back to zero and keeps you fresh. That’s why I do these films,” he adds.
The actor also made his digital debut with Hawa Badle Hassu, sci-fi environmental thriller series. Chandan says that he has also worked in a web film, The Sholay Girls, which he says has got great reviews. Written by Faizal Akhtar and Shrabani Deodhar, the film is based on India's first stuntwoman, Reshma Pathan.
“I am just warming up to the medium. It’s great that people are calling actors like me to experiment with these films because in mainstream Hindi films, I get to play supporting roles. But on these platforms, makers are casting actors like us as the protagonist,” he says, adding, “I will soon announce two projects.”
The Jazbaa actor is happy that character actors are getting to play the protagonist in films today. There are stories which revolve around them. He says that the line between the two is blurring.
“Cinema needs serious actors who can work hard, get the audience attention. Everyone is working hard to get great reviews, acclaim and box-office collections,” adds Chandan, who is busy cooking, travelling, reading and enjoying the monsoon.
