The number of Bengali films and series being made now is astounding: Parambrata

Though I am a hardcore Bengali at heart, I somehow still can’t wear a dhoti. I opt for it only when it’s absolutely necessary or for shoots or when playing a certain character,” said Parambrata Chatterjee as he posed for an exclusive photo shoot with CT. After a hectic schedule spanning months and travelling all over the country, the actor is all set to celebrate Durga Puja in Kolkata. Amid his packed calendar and speculations over his relationship status with girlfriend Ike Schouten, Parambrata, in a chat with us, spoke about work, personal life and Nina Simone, his new

pet

. Excerpts:


Now that you have got some time off during Puja, how are you planning to spend it?
Last year, I was not here for Puja, so I’m glad to be in Kolkata this time. But I don’t have a lot of plans. After a certain age, you don’t particularly chalk out Puja plans. However, one thing I’m sure of is spending time at home; my friends will be coming over. The pandemic is still here, so having elaborate plans is not a great idea.


What about Puja shopping?
Being a frequent traveller, I sometimes get into this forced shopping thing. I keep picking up stuff from airports. I have a few things that are still unused. So I’ll manage with those during Puja (laughs).


Rumour has it that you and your long-time girlfriend Ike Schouten have broken up. There has been a lot of speculation about your relationship status...
We have never spoken about our relationship in public. People got to know a little from here and there. She has also visited a few public events with me. But Ike and I are private people. And even today, we wouldn’t like to discuss our relationship in public. If anything worth sharing happens, I will definitely make an announcement. Amar egulo niye kono rakhdhak nei. I am okay dealing with uncomfortable questions, but she is not used to media attention. She has never been comfortable with it and I have always respected that.


You recently became a pet parent. Tell us about that.
I found Nina and adopted her while shooting in Himachal. She is a pahadi neri. I call her Nina Simone. When it comes to parenting, I am like that patriarch in the family who goes out to work while the kid grows up with the other family members.

She is nine months old now and loves jumping over my shoulder to lick my face. She is playful, full of energy and pretty huge. Rinku, who takes care of my home like nobody else can, and her daughter Rachana look after Nina in every possible way. We can feel that Nina Simone is very fond of her family and it has been a wonderful journey for all of us.

You have been dealing with too many things at a time. Despite the pandemic, you travelled, shot a film and a series and worked on your directorial. What keeps

Parambrata

going?
In the last one decade, I have turned into a workaholic to some extent. I quite like this phase and even missed it during the lockdown last year. As soon as the first lockdown got over, I jumped right back into my work mode. After completing my pending schedule and post-production of my film, I started preparing for the OTT content I was working on and then left for Himachal. When I came back, I shot for several other projects till the second wave kicked in. We started COVID relief centres seeing the intensity of the second wave and got very busy with that for a couple of months. Once that subsided, I again started shooting for a Bengali film, a couple of OTT series and the festival commercials. After Puja, I will be travelling again. This time I’ll go abroad for a shoot. There are a few more shoots lined up.


What is the status of those COVID relief centres now?
It’s still there. With the fear of a third wave still looming, we have not let go of our arrangements. If need be, we will start the
service again.


How are you balancing your national and Bengali projects? Looks like you will be turning into a full-time nationalactor soon.
No no. I am doing a sizeable amount of work in Mumbai, but I am working here as well. It is almost like 50:50. In fact, I am surprised to see the boom in the Kolkata market right now. If you look around, the number of films and web series being made is astounding. It seems like people are predicting a post-pandemic boom or something. Pagol hoye jachhi ami shamlate. Matha kharap hoye jachhe amar. And it is not just me who is feeling this.


So many film releases are stuck though…
How does it matter? Films are not dependent on theatrical releases anymore. You have satellite and OTT.