Anirban Bhattacharya opens up on Hoichoi series Bhog: ‘It was an incredible offer as an actor’ | Interview | Web Series
Actor Anirban Bhattacharya gives a chilling turn in the new psychological horror series Bhog, which releases on Hoichoi on May 1. The story, which is an adaptation of a short story written by Avik Sarkar, revolves around a Calcutta-based man who descends into a strange obsession of worshipping an antique deity. His gradual descent into this obsession knows no bounds.
Ahead of the release of Bhog, Hindustan Times caught up with the actor for an exclusive chat in Bengali about the show, his approach to the part, and working with Parambrata Chattopadhyay a director for the first time. (Excerpts translated from Bengali)
On signing on to do Bhog
“When I was told that I was being considered for this particular character, I heard the audio version of the story, the one that was done by Sunday Suspense,” he says when asked about whether he knew the story from before.
“It was done so well. I knew I was being considered for Atin at that time as well. I loved the story. It was so interesting and so well-known by the readers and listeners. Right after this, I headed to the director’s place to ask him more. I wanted to know what he wanted out of the story, what he wanted to see through this, and how he was thinking of approaching this particular material. The process started from that standpoint.”
In Bhog, Atin’s character goes through a transition, where he loses sense of everything around him in his worship of the deity. Anirban is not quite sure he knows how to talk about his approach to the part, and admits, “That’s my job. The transformation that Atin goes through, how that is visible to the camera. I am eager to see how that comes alive on screen when Bhog releases. As an actor, I have given my best to give Atin that arc, now it is up to the viewers to see how it is received.”
‘The character’s belief is of utmost importance to me’
He goes on to add, “Atin’s life becomes monolithic, all of him is into worshipping this deity. He becomes this blank person when seen from the outside. That was something quite difficult to express as an actor. Param da had very good guidance for me to tackle that, and the writing itself was so inherently strong… which was of great help.”
Unlike Atin, Anirban does not have any such obsession when it comes to being an actor. He calmly states how he looks at this idea, “Atin goes from possession to obsession, and what I believe in as an actor does not matter at all. As an actor, I am always trying to feed into what the character believes in and make it my own. That is my job. I want to equate the emotional memory of Atin in this case, with my own. That is something of an internal process. But what I believe in does not matter here. The character’s belief is of utmost importance to me.”
‘Parambrata is a fantastic director’
Anirban has worked with Parambrata Chattopadhyay as a co-actor before, but this is the first time that he is being directed by him. What is the change? How is Parambrata as a director?
Anirban instantly replies, “Fantastic. Very sorted, extremely disciplined. He is a treat to work with as an actor. He makes the set so comfortable, so when an actor tries to do some sort of improvisation… speaking from my own experience, if I try to see the character a little differently than what he has perceived, he considers that with a lot of time and care. He enables that discussion, acknowledges it and then arrives at a decision. This artistic comfort is so extremely important. There is a certain sense of dignity, in the collaboration between an actor and a director, with the crew and technicians… that is in abundance in Param da’s set. It is one of the finest set in our industry.”
There is a certain reserve in him when he talks about his process as an actor, but he admits that he always tries to take on parts that surprise him first. Perhaps then, it will surprise the audience too.
“I have always wanted that with my career as an actor. With the parts I have taken on as an actor over the years, like a Bullet Singh in Bibaho Obhijaan, or a Khokha in Dwitiyo Purush, Nikhilesh in Ghawre Bairey Aaj… and so many more, I have always wanted to do different parts with these characters. In that sense, Bhog was an incredible offer as an actor,” he says.
‘We work as labourers’
What is his process like? Is he able to disconnect after the shoot gets over, or have there been instances when a character took time to let go? Anirban pauses for a while. He then adds, “It does happen with some parts. The strain becomes physical sometimes. Sometimes it is more of a mental impact. Sometimes it is a sudden sense of grief. But that is okay, and as a professional and work under a lot of constraints. It has become a part of the livelihood now, I feel. That we take on a part, and we are also able to snap out of it. I won’t endorse it as a switch-on, switch-off effect, but after a while, one is prepared.”
He concludes with a pragmatic, implicit smile, “I feel that the context here is different. The stories we hear- of Hollywood and European films, and the dry method that the actors use to get into a role and the time that one is allowed to take. We are not working from the same privileged setup. We work as labourers. We know this shot is today when we reach the set in the morning, that these are the 7 scenes… that is how we work!”
Bhog premieres on Hoichoi on May 1.
