The real friends of reel stars

NUSRAT JAHAN, ACTRESS
Besties: Swaraj Parekh and Pooja Prasad

Nusrat and Swaraj were in the same school and have been friends for a good 13 years. “I was very naughty in school and forgot my commerce book on one occasion. As punishment, the teacher asked me to write ‘I won’t forget again’ 100 times. When she finally asked me to produce the writing, I realised I had not written it.Swaraj nudged me from the side and showed me the 100 lines that he had written on my behalf. We became best friends that day itself,” recalls Nusrat, adding that both are partners in crime. About Pooja, she said they are each other’s confidantes. “I tell her everything and she keeps me grounded,” said Nusrat.
ANUPAM ROY, SINGER-SONGWRITER

Besties: Suryo Pratim Mukherjee and Biman Chattopadhyay
Suryo and Anupam went to the same school and have been friends since Class I. “When I first performed at a school concert in Class VI, he accompanied me on the keyboard. Later, both of us were in Bangalore at the same time. While I landed a job there, he was in Bangalore to study. We would arrange music together. He also played keyboard in my demo CD,” says Anupam. Suryo lives in New Jersey now and Anupam recently visited him. The other friend who is equally dear to Anupam is Biman, his college senior and former boss. “He was also my roommate in Bangalore. We spent several evenings in pursuit of knowledge; he groomed me for my first job,” adds the singer-songwriter. Biman, who tasted success with his start-up, lives in Bangalore but the duo talk to each other often. “He is my mentor and I totally adore him,” says Anupam.
YASH, ACTOR
Bestie: Arnab Banerjee
Yash and Arnab go back a long way. “I know him from school. He used to be my the then GF’s best friend’s brother. Now, that GF is not there, but Arnab and I remain thick. He is very upfront and talks openly about everything under the sun. He went to rehab at one point in time and has gone through a lot, but I have only seen him become stronger with every experience,” says Yash, adding how Arnab inspires him. The actor says when he drove from Mumbai to Kolkata to be an actor, Arnab accompanied him. “He flew to Mumbai from Kolkata and came with me in the car. We had fought for two years in between but are back to being best friends,” adds Yash.
SUDIPTAA CHAKRABORTY, ACTRESS
Besties: Jayeeta Kanjilal and Arpita Roy
Jayeeta, Arpita and Sudiptaa not only grew up in the same para, but also went to the same school. “We became friends in Class III and continue to be each other’s secret-keepers. We would go to tuitions together, exchange class notes and even talk about our crushes,” she says. Arpita, who used to live in the same apartment complex as Sudiptaa, is based in Bangalore now, but the friends catch up whenever she is in town. “Our friendship goes beyond clicking selfies and posting them on social media. It’s far deeper,” says Sudiptaa.
BIRSA DASGUPTA, DIRECTOR

Bestie: Subhanjan Mitra
They were born in the same year and what’s more, in the same para! For Birsa, who grew up with Subhanjan, they are more like brothers than friends. “He stays a few houses away from mine and people would think we were brothers. I would often leave my cricketing gear at his house and his books would lie around in my study,” says Birsa. Even though both are busy with their respective lives, they catch up for 10 minutes every day. “At times, we just stand on the road and chat non-stop for an hour,” adds the director.
PARNO MITTRA, ACTRESS

Bestie: Saba Hussain
Saba and Parno became besties when they were in Class VIII. “We were in the same school and would spend as much time together as possible. Even now, we organise sleepovers, watch horror films together. Whenever my mother feels that I am flying high, she summons Saba to give me a reality check,” says Parno. The duo, who found each other while taking computer lessons, admit they sometimes engage in little fights. “She is busy with her life after joining work but we still manage to remain updated on each other,” she adds.
JISSHU U SENGUPTA, ACTOR

Besties: Abhishek Sengupta and Neeraj Ladia
Both Abhishek and Neeraj are two years older than Jisshu and live in the same neighbourhood. “They would spend a lot of time at our house and be pampered by my mother. We would eat and sleep together. All three of us would have spare clothes at our places and our parents would also make additional arrangements for our sleepovers,” says Jisshu. The actor is still very much in touch with his besties. “We went to Pattaya recently and was it fun! We also fight at times but never carry it forward. We always talk it out and like to resolve the issues as soon as they crop up,” adds the actor.
ARINDOM CHATTERJEE, COMPOSER

Bestie: Kaustav Halder
They went to the same school and have been friends since Class I. “We didn’t study in the same college though I was aware of his everyday life; Kaustav topped in marketing from his college,” recalls a proud Arindom. The composer says they are so thick that not even a day goes without them catching up. “Whenever I crave for biryani, I pick him up late in the night and head to our fave joint in Park Circus. If we ever fight, my mother always takes his side. He is like my shadow,” says Arindom. Even if Kaustuv has landed a marketing job, he also manages Arindom. “He has more knowledge of my bank details than me,” he adds. —