Bengali audiences never tire of watching Byomkesh adaptations: Parambrata Chatterjee

For the first time, popular actor Parambrata Chatterjee will play Saradindu Bandopadhyay's fictional detective Byomkesh Bakshi in Sayantan Ghoshal’s upcoming Byomkesh film inspired by the author's story Magna Mainak. Rudranil Ghosh will play the sleuth’s associate and sounding board Ajit.

At a press conference in Kolkata recently, Chatterjee said this was not the first time he had been offered the role of the Satyanweshi (seeker of truth). “I first got the offer in 2014," he said. "But I was quite busy then. Besides, multiple projects on Byomkesh were being made. Anjan-da [filmmaker Anjan Dutt] had started his film with Abir Chatterjee while in Mumbai Dibakar Banerjee was launching Sushant Singh Rajput as the detective. So I did not think anybody would take special interest if I also donned the avatar.”

However, the actor later realized that the brand Byomkesh Bakshi is so popular that audiences are ready to watch as many renditions of the character as they can get. “I am not talking only about the portrayals by Abir, Jisshu [Sengupta] and Anirban [Bhattacharya], but when Saibal Mitra cast Dhritiman Chatterjee as an aged Byomkesh Bakshi also people went to watch it,” said the actor-turned-director.

Chatterjee now believes the desire to watch a curious detective on screen will always be there in the Bengali mindset. So, when he got the offer again, this time from a team that includes Anjan Dutt as screenwriter and adviser, he jumped at it. That he had worked with director Ghoshal on a few projects and enjoyed the experience only made things easier.

"We plan to present a stylized Byomkesh while retaining his essence.” stated Chatterjee who promised to give the new role his best shot.