Jeet before the release of Chengiz: I am a product of mainstream action genre and I enjoy this space

In a time, when a majority of Bengali films are turning out to be thrillers or family dramas, Jeet makes it a point to bring mainstream action films at regular intervals. After Ravaan last year, this Eid the Bengali superstar is all set to present Chengiz. This time, the film is being simultaneously released in Bengali and Hindi (a dubber version). Penned by Neeraj Pandey and Rajesh Ganguly and directed by the latter, the film features Susmita Chatterjee, Rohit Roy, Shataf Figar, and others. In a chat with OTTplay, Jeet talks about his love for the genre, his aim to present Bengali films to the pan-Indian audience, and a lot more. Read on…

There was a time when your fans were unhappy that there were no announcements on Chengiz. And now they are overjoyed and expressing their excitement on social media. How are you enjoying the transition?

We noticed the conversations on social media and my PR and communication team also told us about it. But we knew our goals and how we were approaching them. Hence, we took a little time to make this happen and release the film in Bengali and Hindi simultaneously in a big way. Unfortunately, people were getting a little impatient. The good thing is, the positive reactions are back. We are happy and pleased to see the excitement. I always say that with great power comes great responsibilities. We will try to make things happier for them. It is not just about a film from Bengal but also a proud moment of the Bengali industry that it is getting released simultaneously in Hindi and Bengali.

Your decision to release Chengiz in Hindi simultaneously came as a surprise to many. How did that shape up?

We have been thinking on this line for a long time and the road map became popular after the success of Baahubali. It was amazing to see how Rajamouli sir got a regional film dubbed and the entire India loved it. Now that roadmap was followed by some other regional industries also. And those did well also. We realised that nationwide and worldwide, viewers have become more receptive to content from different industries. This tendency grew during the lockdown. People are now more receptive to unknown faces and ideas. When Chengiz started shaping up with Neeraj Pandey coming on board and with cast and crew members, we felt that this film has the potential of attracting a national audience. We reached out to Anil Thadani. He said he would like to watch the film. We took four/five months to make the film. We completed the film, it was dubbed in Hindi. He watched the film and liked it and after that, everything fell into place.

Chengiz shows the ’70s and ’80s Kolkata. What kind of challenges you faced as a producer to recreate the period?

It begins in the late ’70s and goes on till the mid-’90s. It was a challenge for the art, production, and directorial department. We, as a part of the production team, were involved. However, it was more of an art department’s challenge to recreate the director’s vision. We extended our support as much as we could. Also, the 90s are not that far. The director grew up during that time. We remember how it was. We tried to get the aesthetics right…

Also read: Jeet on Chengiz: Baahubali and other films created the roadmap to reach pan-Indian viewers 

How did you handle the budget constraint in the Bengali film industry?

Budget constraint is there in every industry. Hollywood perhaps has way more money than the Hindi film industry but it still has a budget. In terms of budget and opulence, we cannot meet the biggies of Bollywood and the rest of the big regional industries. But another magic about cinema is a film should make you forget that you are sitting in a theatre. You are glued to your seats and that takes you to a different world. This can be one of the films that can take you to a different universe. Keeping our industry in mind, what we have here will surely attract some eyeballs. But our strength lies in the thrill we created.

When many of the actors and actresses, even the makers, have left the mainstream action genre and work on thrillers and family dramas. You never seem to leave this space. Why?

Mainstream commercial films are the drivers of the film industry across languages. That is the first thing I believe in. and then when I look back on my filmography, I see I am what I am today because of the films that I have done. And I have mostly done mainstream films. When we open our eyes we see mainstream films have a wider reach. If I know a certain genre has the potential to take me to a wider audience why wouldn’t I do it? Moreover, I personally enjoy this space. I feel as long as my mind and body are active I should go dancing and enjoy life. I enjoy dancing. I know I am not a very good dancer. I am a pretty average dancer. But I enjoy it. If there is a party I will dance. In my family, everybody loves to dance. It is just one life and why shouldn’t we enjoy it? I am more comfortable in this space. Whatever I am today is largely because of this space. I would love to continue with this.

Many actors are travelling to Mumbai and down South. Did you ever feel like working in other industries?

I have acted in Hindi, Odia, Bhojpuri, and Telugu industries earlier. I worked in the Bengali industry for the longest time. I am ok to work in other industries. If I get offers with a strong character, I would love to consider it. However, there is also excitement that we have made a Bengali film in Kolkata and taking it outside Kolkata. End of the day, it is about reaching a wider audience.

OTT space came as Tsunami on us. What are the possibilities of you exploring the medium?

Everybody is asking me this… oh why (laughs). I am open to it. I can do it. I can act. I have no inhibition. A story can be told through any medium. But cinema is supposed to be an experience and watching it on a big screen adds value to that. It gives a beet feel of larger-than-life stories and make-believe attributes that the film offers. I enjoy it.

What are the chances of Dev and Jeet getting back together in Dui Prithibi part 2? Any chance of that?

You never know (laughs out loud)... We talked about working together but did not materialise….