If there’s one thing Jisshu Sengupta believes with all his heart, it is that change is the only constant. While the adage has been reinforced during the pandemic, in Jisshu’s life, the change has reflected in the variety of characters, languages, and platforms he has been associated with.
The critically-acclaimed actor has been a part of many award-winning Bengali films. Although he has been a part of Hindi projects since the initial years of his career, he also made his debut in Telugu cinema in 2018. He started his acting career with television and has kept his association alive by hosting a couple of reality shows. In recent years, he has also become a part of the OTT space, with Criminal Justice: Behind Closed Doors being the latest digital project.
With a number of enviable projects in his hands, including the Telugu remake of Andhadhun, Telugu film Acharya with Chiranjeevi, and Hindi film Antim: The Final Truth with Salman Khan, he is also returning to Bengali cinema after a gap of two years. “I’m also reading a couple of Hindi scripts at the moment,” he tells us. The superstar took some time off from his busy schedule to share his journey with TMM…
Do you think as an actor, the OTT space is giving you much more in terms of the variety of characters and the scope to reach a wider audience?
Yes, of course. The OTT was the future anyway but due to 2020, it came closer to us. Having said that, I have to say, I have been offered different kinds of characters all through my 22-year-old-long career. I played a psychopath killer in my second Telugu film, something I had never done before. So, I will not say that only OTT has given me this space. I have been getting these kinds of roles for the past decade or so.
You wanted to become a cricketer, but ended up becoming an actor. How did that happen?
My father was an actor and my mother used to say that one actor in the family is enough (laughs), so I was not really exposed to that area. I used to play cricket and even represented my state on the junior level. By daytime, I was a cricketer and by night-time, I was a drummer. I have played professional drums for about ten years. In the 90s, there was no summer cricket. Since my father was an actor, people knew me and I was offered a Bengali TV series called Mahaprabhu for the role of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Since it was summertime and there was no cricket happening, I decided to give it a go, thinking I’ll make some pocket money. That was the end of my cricket career! (smiles) The rest is history.
You’ve seen many highs and lows in your career. Is there something anyone has told you about this profession that spurs you on to keep working?
I think my life has taught me everything. I lost my father in 2001. He used to always say that acting is something that no one can make you learn. You have to be open-minded and see and feel your surroundings. Then there was my friend, philosopher and mentor Rituparno Ghosh with whom I have done six films, all of which have won National Awards in different categories. I became an actor after working with Rituda. My career’s first work – Mahaprabhu – was directed by Debangshu Sengupta. He taught me how to face the camera and say my lines. I learnt the technicalities from him and the nuances of acting from Rituda. But it is the life that has taught me everything.
You are no more a ‘Bengali actor’, but an actor now. Are there any other languages you are keen to explore?
Just like music, films too don’t have any language. When I was first offered a Telugu film, I wondered how I could emote in a language I don’t understand, but it happened. The film was offered to me by Krish Jagarlamudi, one of the directors of Manikarnika. I played the character of legendary director LV Prasad. Krish told me that films are all about emotion. If you get the right emotion at the right place, you can do a film in any language. Today, I’m on my fifth Telugu film, have signed two more and I’m in talks for another. By the end of the year, I will hopefully complete 10-12 films in Telugu.
Can you tell us a bit about the Soumitra Chatterjee biopic that you are a part of? Is there a sense of loss now that he is not there anymore?
We shot the film in 2020 and it will release this year. Soumitra Chatterjee was like a godfather for us. He was 15 at heart and was also a friend. We have learnt so much from him. The biopic’s name is Abhijaan and I play the younger version of him where he has played the older version himself. Parambrata Chatterjee, who is also an actor and a dear friend, has directed the movie. When I was offered the film, I didn’t have the dates for it. I received a call from Soumitra himself in January 2020, and he told me that if there is anyone who can play this character, it has to be me. I couldn’t refuse him. I spoke to my team and they managed the dates. Ultimately, I did the film. I consider myself lucky that I have played Uttam Kumar in his biopic and now Soumitra Chatterjee. As an actor from that part of the world, it is a matter of pride for me to play both these legendary actors in one lifetime.
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