Mahalaya will go down in the history of Bengali cinema for its subject: Jisshu

He’s playing Uttam Kumar in Soumik Sen’s debut Bengali film, Mahalaya. In a chat with us, Jisshu U Sengupta talks about his experience of playing the legend, childhood memories of Mahalaya, working with the new director and the film. Excerpts:
What was your first reaction when Soumik approached you to play Uttam Kumar?
When I heard the script, I was blown away, as I was not aware of the 1976 incident when Uttam Kumar had replaced Birendra Krishna Bhadra’s voice in Mahishasura Mardini.Initially, I was jittery at the thought of playing the legend. But I later realised the film is much more than that.
How challenging was it to step into the shoes of the legend?
I’ve played the character in my own way and I request everyone to not compare me with the stalwart. My mother-in-law told me how Uttam Kumar was as a person. She said Uttam babu was witty, big-hearted, a foodie and always eager to help the technicians. These details helped me portray him better. Not for once did I try to copy him.
Tell us about the film.
The film explores the psyche behind the government’s decision to replace Birendra Krishna Bhadra and tries to answer some popular queries — did Uttam Kumar do it willingly and what was Birendra Krishna Bhadra’s reaction? Did they actually have a fight over this?
How was it working with Soumik?
He is a very sorted director, completely chilled out on the sets. He knows exactly what he wants from his team. It needs courage to make a film like this, so kudos to Bumbada (Prosenjit Chatterjee) for taking the initiative. Not for once did he interfere with the script or anything related to the film. I don’t know how much money the film will make at the box office but it will surely go down in the history of Bengali cinema for its subject. Subhasish Mukhopadhyay’s performance as Birendra Krishna Bhadra is just brilliant.
Do you listen to Mahishasura Mardini on Mahalaya?
Oh yes! During my childhood, Ma would wake me up early morning and I’d invariably fall asleep after listening to it for half an hour or so. Mahalaya meant no studies, so that used to be fun.