Jisshu Sengupta: 7 best film roles of the Bengali actor

Jisshu Sengupta can go to any extent to get into the skin of a character, hence earning him the moniker of the Bengali film industry’s Mr Perfectionist. Like any other actor in Tollywood, he has also faced a lot of ups and downs. But time has taught him much. Jisshu has now become an actor who prefers quality over quantity and that in turn ensures excitement about his films. In a career filled with highs and lows, here is a list of 7 Bengali films that showcase Jisshu Sengupta's immense talent.

Srijit Mukherji’s ‘Uma’ sees real-life father-daughter bonding transcend on the big screen to become a reel life hit. Sara Sengupta as the titular character is a natural throughout the film. She indeed reflects the innocence and subtle maturity of her character that takes this film forward. Whereas, dad Jisshu Sengupta, literally pours out his soul into this supreme performance as a desperate and doting father. When shooting for ‘Uma’, Jisshu had a difficult time on the sets watching his daughter playing a terminally ill child.

The unique bonding between a grandchild and grandparents is something to cherish. That’s what Nandita Roy and Shiboprosad Mukherjee’s 'Posto' teaches us with Soumitra Chatterjee, Lily Chakraborty, Mimi Chakraborty and little Arghya Basu Roy giving stellar performances. But the show stealer is none other than Jisshu Sengupta, portraying the alcoholic and struggling painter who tries to be a good son and a good father at the same time. After all, it’s not easy to play a man who ‘dances to his wife’s tunes’ or one who is ‘dependent on his wife’s income’.

'Byomkesh O Agnibaan' directed by Anjan Dutt, merged two stories of Sharadundu Bandopadhyay -'Agnibaan' and 'Uposonghar'. It was Jisshu’s third film as Byomkesh and no doubt one of his career-best performances. He carried out the attitude and swag of the Bengali sleuth perfectly. Many will say that Abir Chatterjee is the best man to play the character, but you can’t ignore Jisshu’s acting brilliance. Sadly, we won’t see the actor playing Byomkesh any more as Anjan Dutt has decided not to make any more films on the popular detective character.

Who could have imagined Jisshu Sengupta in a negative role? Jisshu as the evil Kashinath Kundu, once again proved the mettle as an actor who could take on just about any role, setting him a class apart from other actors. Just like the infamous Roman senator Cassius, who became a leading instigator of the plot to kill Julius Caesar, Jisshu’s grey character in this film turns out to be the mastermind behind the murder of the ganglord, Zulfiqar. Srijit Mukherji’s inspiration for this 2016 hit came from not one, but two tragedies- 'Julius Caeser' and 'Antonio and Cleopatra'. Though different plays, these two classics bring a single historical connection that was explored in the modern context.

In an extended cameo, Jisshu Sengupta stole the show with his portrayal of the negative character named Kabir. In one of the defining scenes, unabashed Kabir describes how he takes up Hinduism or Islam as per convenience. This perfectly summed up the brutal and dark chapters of partition. This movie is a great example of Srijit Mukherjee's style of filmmaking. The story highlighted a completely different take on the partition of India, by focussing on a group of prostitutes played by Rituparno Sengupta, Saayoni Ghosh and Sohini Sarkar, who refused to leave their brothel for the creation of the Radcliffe Line (a demarcation line between India and Pakistan made on 17 August 1947 ).

Jishu Sengupta stole the show yet again for his scruffy yet charming appearance in the film 'Chitrangada The Crowning Wish'. He went a few steps further to kiss and caress the protagonist (the late Rituparno Ghosh) in the movie, braving social stigmas. The Rituparno Ghosh directorial highlights the brutal struggle a man faces as he craves for womanhood and has to digest the eternal message, "Be what you wish to be." The film was praised for the way it depicted the feelings of those struggling with gender identity.

A Bengali musician, Amit leaves his bohemian dreams of making a career in music in Kolkata and exiles himself to Mumbai’s corporate slavery. He hopes one day he will be able to share his true feelings for his best friend Labonya. But suddenly, all his plans are shattered when the unconventional Labonya gives in to family pressure and agrees to an arranged marriage in Kolkata. In this film, Jisshu Sengupta excelled in his part of a nerdy young man. Also, his pairing with Koel looked like made for each other.