'I just want The Godfather': Here's what Vikramaditya Motwane told Prosenjit Chatterjee about his Jubilee role

Prosenjit Chatterjee plays the role of Srikant Roy in the Prime Video series.

Prosenjit Chatterjee in a still from Jubilee (Courtesy: Prime Video IN/Instagram)

Prosenjit Chatterjee claims that his phone hasn't stopped ringing since Friday. He receives calls from colleagues in Bengali cinema as well as from those in the Hindi film business. Every single one of them agrees that Jubilee is deserving of praise. According to Chatterjee, who has ruled Bengali film for over four decades, he couldn't have wished for a greater OTT start.

With Jubilee the writer and director of the series, Vikramaditya Motwane, goes back to the Hindi film business of the 1940s and 1950s. Chatterjee portrays Srikant Roy, a successful film producer and actor in his own right who runs Roy Talkies. The actor says that his love for movies from that time and the chance to work with Motwane were the main reasons he decided to back the Prime Video project.

The senior actor told Mid Day that one of the best new-age filmmakers is Vikram. The director explained the story to Chatterjee, saying that he had just me in mind for Srikant Roy since the first day he began writing it six years ago. He still acts like an assistant director, doing everything himself, which makes him one of the best directors. The actor is also aware of what these people did for Indian movies during that time. Kagaz Ke Phool (1959), a movie directed by Guru Dutt, is one of his favourites. Chatterjee gave Vikram a big embrace as soon as he stepped onto Jubilee's set and thanked him for realising one of his dreams.

Motwane gave a short description of the character to the veteran actor. He said that Srikant Roy is a king who only believes in his film. Chatterjee played the part with seriousness and restraint, saying that Aditi Rao Hydari and his characters are full of feelings but can't show them. They have the maturity to manage such roles after taking on several and expressing every emotion through their attitude, gaze, and body language. He only wants The Godfather Vikram said when he explained the character of Srikant.

The Bengali superstar's performance in Shanghai (2012) is perhaps what Bollywood viewers remember him for the most. When asked why he hasn't appeared in any Hindi movies since Traffic (2016), he jokes that he wasn't considered for Vikram's most recent films. The actor requires talented directors who are aware of his body of work. Anurag Kashyap and Anurag Basu, two filmmakers of Hindi films, have claimed that it is difficult to cast him because the roles are not challenging enough. Chatterjee has been here for more than 30 years. His first Hindi film director, David Dhawan, who offered him the role of Aandhiyan told me he was mind-blowing in Jubilee. Nowadays, the roles themselves must interest him rather than just the production as a whole.

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