Ritwick Chakraborty on Mayar Jonjal: Kobida shows a Kolkata that we don’t always get to see

After Phoring and Bhalobashar Shohor, Ritwick Chakraborty has teamed up again with filmmaker Indranil Roychowdhury, aka Kobi, for Mayar Jonjal. The film which is an Indo-Bangladesh production also features Chandreyee Ghosh, Bratya Basu, Aupee Karim, Paran Bandyopadhyay, Shohel Mondal, and others. Based on two stories by Manik Bandyopadhyay, Mayar Jonjal will release on February 24. 

Talking about his character, Ritwick elaborated that he is an unemployed man with a strong male ego. His ego gets hurt when his wife steps out to find a job. “The name of my character is Chandan Santra, aka Chandu. He used to work in a plastic factory. He lost his job and now he is a security guard at an ATM. He has his family – wife, child, and so on. Evidently, his financial condition is difficult. The main dilemma of this character appears when his wife wants to step out and work to help the family. His male ego gets hurt,” he said. 

Indranil and Ritwick have worked on several projects. Talking about the director, the actor said, “Kobida has his style and method. He is very clear about what he wants. He barely says anything during the shoot at the set. However, before the film goes on the floor, he says a lot about the character, his vision, and his requirement,” he said. 

Mayar Jonjal had a screening in 2021. Before the release, a few more shows were hosted in Kolkata. Ritwick watched the film recently for the second time. “When I watched the film I realised Kobida’s vision. He shows a Kolkata that we don’t always see on the screen. It doesn’t show the alleys of North Kolkata or Southern Avenue. Rather the expanding Kolkata is captured in his lens. Also, the people we see in Mayar Jonjal are not us. But we know them closely. They have their share of hope, faith, and aspiration. The film shows how they get entangled in their crisis,” the actor said while elaborating on the film.