Veteran actor-director-singer Anjan Dutt is paired with iconic actress-filmmaker Aparna Sen in Parambrata Chattopadhyay directorial upcoming Bengali film Ei Raat Tomar Amaar, a story of old age romance set for January 31 release. In an interview with IBNS correspondent Souvik Ghosh, Dutt speaks on his pairing with Sen who directed him in the past, collaboration with Parambrata and his present journey...

Q. You earlier said theatre needs an exertion which is tough to deliver at an older age. Do films give you more liberty?

A. As a director, it doesn't matter how old one is when it comes to films if the person is physically fit. But theatre is entirely physical for actors. It's difficult if the actor has physical limitations. The older an actor gets, it becomes more exhausting. But one doesn't have to run around much when it comes to films. So as an actor, theatre requires a very agile body like a dancer.

Anjan Dutt | Image by Avishek Mitra/IBNS

Q. What does Ei Raat Tomar Amaar mean to you?

A. It's a film where I could be the actor that I set out to be. The job of the actor is to be a character and do it believably. So here was a believable film where the actor's job was to behave. It was worth the effort that I have put in.

Q. You played a character of an age bracket where you almost belong to in personal life. Did that help in portraying the role effectively?

A. No, not really because the character I played is completely different from my personality. I played a role much older than myself so I had to push myself to become older. I had to put on more weight because I am 71 while my character was aged around 78-79. Also the character is an intelligent, ordinary man. So I had to work on the character. It was not easier just because I was playing an old man. My age didn't help.

Q. How was pairing with Aparna Sen whom you knew very well and also worked with on several occasions?

A. Though she is senior to me and has more experience, we come from the same background. Both of us worked in theatres but Rina-di (Aparna Sen) featured in more films. We still have the same kind of understanding of the world, life, cinema and acting. We believe in the same theory of acting so it's always very comfortable and exciting to work with people who believe in the same theory of acting. Chemistry is always more exciting when both believe in the same idea of acting.

I have a lot of problems working with people who think acting is larger than life or is all about display of emotions or mounting lines. I have come across such actors who can't do anything but utter lines. Aparna Sen comes from a school of acting which believes that lines that we say are less than what we do. The behaviour is more important.

Anjan Dutt with Aparna Sen | Image by Avishek Mitra/IBNS

Q. Do you try to be choosy when it comes to acting?

A. I have tried to do that because I believe an actor's job is very serious and intense. It's a serious profession. I have tried to be choosy so I did not do much work and had to start singing because that kept me going as a professional. I kept on refusing scripts till a certain point where I had to work or not work. So I started singing which it helped me. But at the same time, an actor can't function properly if he/she stops working for a long time. 

Q. You have started off with a legend like Mrinal Sen and worked with several stalwarts. How was adjusting to the wavelength of a young director like Parambrata Chattopadhyay?

A. I introduced Param into acting. I know his serious, educated background. It's not about young or old. I have worked with young people who demanded and even forced me to overact. But Param despite being younger than me or Aparna Sen didn't do that. He knew what he wanted, was confident, his script was intact, we did homework, had a lot of discussions, he believed us and we delivered. He was very clear about what he wanted and that makes him a very matured director as far this film is concerned.

Q. How do you think the older romance has changed in the age of social media?

A. Irrespective of age brackets, human beings are the same. Though it's a fact that social media has taken a lot of our lives, life cannot be digital and it's still going on. Changes are inevitable but life will continue. This film, which talks about a couple who lived together for 50 years, is about being together, sincere and insincere. I liked the text because it deals with what makes people stay together. Old people who have stayed together for long have lost their youth but found something else. I found the questions raised in this film interesting. People who are old will be able to look at the fun and joy of their life. That's interesting. Usually films are not made on old couples. Even if they are made, they are regressive, melodramatic, and soppy.

Anjan Dutt | Image by Avishek Mitra/IBNS

Q. How do you navigate through theatre, films and songs?

A. I made Chaalchitra Ekhon which performed well. I don't believe in jumping into another film right after the success of one. I prefer to move away and give it a gap. I won't be able to match up to another film if my previous one has worked. That is what I am doing theatre for and as a result I am not able to do much of my concerts. I would have concentrated on music if I hadn't done theatre, which is keeping me going till I feel like coming back and making a film. I am okay with it. I do many things but not all at the same time. I do concerts in the season of music. I try not to do shooting in the second half of the year, especially post summer. I don't indulge myself in two things simultaneously and that is how I navigate.

(Images by Avishek Mitra/IBNS)