Sabyasachi Chakraborty: I no longer want to act

Sabyasachi Chakraborty, everyone's beloved Feluda, landed in Dhaka on Saturday and endured the classic Dhaka traffic before reaching his hotel. He attended the opening ceremony of the Dhaka International Film Festival 2023, at the National Museum in Shahbag, where he gave several speeches, and stayed for the screening of 'JK 1971', which also stars him as one of the characters. 

Despite such a hectic day he was kind enough to sit for an exclusive interview with The Business Standard at the Dhaka Club.

The first thing he said upon seeing me was, "Oh, you are the Feluda!" It, however, came as no surprise, I was donning a Feluda-illustrated hoodie because I was coming face to face with my childhood hero. 

You have just watched the film JK 1971 for the first time. What did you think about the movie?

Well, if Fakhrul (Arefeen Khan) had a bigger budget, time and a better set of actors, the film could have turned out to be much better. But I think he had to settle for whatever he had been provided with.

During the opening ceremony, you said that JK 1971 is not really a film about our Liberation War. Rather, it is about a humanitarian event. What did you mean by it?

The protagonist Jean Kay showed unthinkable courage for the sake of the dying children who had been in the refugee camp in Kolkata without access to adequate supply of medicine. Children continue to face similar situations in many places around the world. It just happened to be that Jean Kay did it for the children who fled to Kolkata from Bangladesh. 

This is why I think labelling the story as a humanitarian event would be more appropriate.

Do you have any personal memory regarding Bangladesh's Liberation War in 1971?

Not really, because I was very young back then. But I remember Sheikh Mujibur Rahman went to Delhi in 1972, and I went to see him with my father. I was in secondary school at the time.

This is your second feature film with director Fakhrul Arefeen Khan after 'Gondi'. What was it like working with him again? Did people from Bangladesh reach out to you and give feedback the last time?

Fakhrul is a wonderful director. The experience of working with him was extremely good. And the feedback from the Bangladeshi audiences was marvellous. They really appreciated the film.

What is the biggest difference between films made in Kolkata and Bangladesh in your opinion?

Bangladesh tends to make more commercially-driven movies. More intellectual and art films are made in Kolkata. But in recent years, with the emergence of OTT platforms, we have seen some excellent, thought-provoking Bangladeshi content.

Can you please name a few movies and series you liked?

Of course, I have not seen all of them. Right now, the first name that comes to mind is Karagar.

Who are the directors you haven't worked with yet but want to work with in future?

No one. In fact, I don't want to act any longer. I have become an old man. Now it is time to leave the stage for young and talented actors.  

There have been so many new Feludas lately. Tota Roy Chowdhury, Parambrata Chatterjee, Indraneil Sengupta. Abir Chatterjee also played Feluda once. And Ahmed Rubel did the Bangladeshi version of Feluda. Have you seen their works?

I haven't watched Hatyapuri yet. But I think everyone is doing their best. Everyone has their own style, and I would never go into comparisons. There had been several Feludas in the past too. First, there was Soumitra Chatterjee, then Shashi Kapoor. 

For me, and many like us, you are the real Feluda. What are your thoughts on that?

I have been playing Feluda even before you were born. You and some others from your generation have rejected the past and embraced the present. He who has watched Soumitra Chatterjee's Feluda would never call me a better Feluda.

Do you think it is time for Sandip Ray to let go of the Feluda rights in Bengal?

No, I don't think so. He has done exceedingly well as the director of Feluda. I don't see any reason to give up the rights just yet.

Sandip Ray in a recent interview said that he would keep the rights of Feluda for his son (Souradip Ray). Is such nepotism a good thing?

His son also has it in his blood. It is the upbringing and the atmosphere of the Ray family that should also be taken into consideration. So, I think Babuda (Sandip Ray) should keep the rights for his son.