Exclusive! Satyam Bhattacharya on Ballavpurer Roopkotha: I gave multiple auditions even after Anirbanda selected me as Bhupati

Satyam Bhattacharya has been working in the Bengali film industry for more than a decade. However, Anirban Bhattacharya's Ballabhpurer Roopkotha marks his first film in the lead role. Earlier, the ardent student of film, Satyam has assisted multiple directors including Srijit Mukherji. His portrayal of Bhaskar in Chandrasish Ray’s 2019 drama Nirontor has been widely appreciated. In Ballabhpurer Roopkotha, which will be released in theatres on October 25, the young actor will be seen as Bhupati Roy – the last descendant of the Ray dynasty. In an exclusive chat with OTTPlay, the actor talks about his journey in Tollywood, his faith in Anirban, and a lot more. Read on…

The film had a press show on Thursday and will be released on October 25. Are you nervous?

Yes, I am very nervous and tense. On Thursday, after the show, it calmed me a little but I am still very nervous. I was more panicked before the show. I am attached to the project as long as Anirbanda and Pratikda (Dutta, co-scriptwriter) are. Anirbanda put a lot of faith in me and that is a huge responsibility on my shoulders. The premiere show went well. We got good reviews from people. Anirbanda and the team aimed to make the people enjoy themselves. On the first show, that happened.

How did you get the offer?

I assisted Anirbanda in Mandaar. His AD called me and said that there is both good and bad news. He broke the bad news first that Anirbanda refused to keep me as an assistant. I was pretty hurt at that moment and then came the good news that he thought of making me the hero of his next film. I was in disbelief. I am almost a rank newcomer in acting and he thought of me as a lead character was hard to believe. I was also super excited.

However, just because Anirbanda thought I could be the lead did not make my job any easier. I went through three to four auditions with multiple characters before I was confirmed in the role. I auditioned in October last year, December, and January. I auditioned with a beard, without a beard, with a moustache, and without.

How did Anirban induct you into the character?

Before that, I asked Anirbanda why he chose me. He said that I resemble the character of a prince who is bankrupt but has the look of royalty. I am a little chubby and he thought I would be perfect for the character.

While explaining the characters he asked me to follow the 60s heroes – Soumitra Chatterjee, Uttam Kumar, Samit Bhanja, Shubhendu Chatterjee, and so on. He also asked me to see how they bring humour, their comic timing, etc. The onscreen humour has changed over the years. And he suggested that he should follow films like Sharey Chuattar, Bhranti Bilas, Dhanyee Meye, and all.

Did the fact that you will be the lead actor in a film put any extra pressure on you?

Initially, I was nervous until I gave my first shot. Everything seemed easy after that. Actually, we went through multiple rehearsals before we started shooting and that helped very much. Anirbanda emphasised following the soul of the character. Once it all started, the shooting seemed easy.

You have been working in the industry for more than a decade. What took you so long to become a lead character in a film?

As a matter of fact, I assisted many directors over this period. While I always wanted to be an actor, I have been a successful AD also. Also, I realised that I don’t exactly look like the conventional heroes of the current time. Every era has a look of its hero. Paramda (Parambrata Chatterjee), Jisshuda (Jisshu U Sengupta), and Abirda (Chatterjee) – are all tall, lean, and handsome. I am a little chubby and surely don’t look like the heroes of this generation. Besides, it is also true that while I wanted to become an actor, since I was assisting no one took my acting seriously.

Also, male actors usually have a particular age to look mature. That is after you hit 30 I guess.

Do you think that Indian cinema is giving up this conventional perception of good-looking heroes?

I think with the emergence of OTTs and social media, the idea of worshipping heroes is going away. The younger generation does not worship their heroes. Things are changing I guess.

Do you think conventional stardom is not working among the audience anymore?

I always believe that a good film will work. Let’s take the example of Salman Khan. His Bajrangi Bhaijaan worked at the box office and it is undoubtedly a good film. His many other films did not work because those were weak films. In Bengal, Lokkhi Chele worked without any conventional hero in it. We will have to understand that we cannot just make anything and expect our audience will take that. In the age of OTT and social media, the content has to be created carefully. Also, when stardom used to work, the stars used to be elusive. There was a time when Prosenjit Chatterjee or Chiranjeet Chakraborty used to be far away from the common fans. Now, with their social media, they are reachable and one can actually keep a track of their social life.