I am happy to have worked with the team behind The Eken: Paayel Sarkar

Actress Paayel Sarkar will play an actress named Bipasha Mitra in Joydeep Mukherjee’s upcoming film The Eken, starring Anirban Chakrabarti as the titular detective.

Inspired by the popular Hoichoi series Eken Babu, the film features Suhotra Mukhopadhyay, Somak Ghosh and Debashish Mondal.

The actress, who has worked with Mukherjee in Bhaijan Elo Re (2018), said he is a wonderful director and a jovial person. "I was approached by the producers SVF Entertainment and working with them is within my comfort zone," she added.

“I have watched Eken Babu and the character is our favourite. The big-screen adaptation makes it evident how popular the series is,” said the actress. “While I had known most of the cast and crew members, this was my first encounter with Anirban Da. But I never felt that I was meeting him for the first time. The entire team was very easy to work with.”

Sarkar said that she is happy and content to have worked with the team. “Everyone has given their best in their own way, and I have tried my best to deliver a good performance too,” said the actress.

According to the artiste, she was chosen to play a heroine as she is a familiar face in Bengali cinema. However, she said she is the polar opposite of her character in real life. "Bipasha always has a larger-than-life aura even when she is not in front of the camera and while she is meeting her friends. She is aware that she is pretty and is used to getting a lot of attention. She also doesn’t mind using her attributes to her advantage,” elaborated the actress.

Sarkar found the character to be quite interesting. In the trailer, Bipasha comes across as slightly manipulative but, according to Sarkar, she is not evil. "I guess all of us take a twisted route to get our work done sometimes,” she added.

Sarkar also shot for the first time in Darjeeling for The Eken. “It was a fantastic experience shooting in Darjeeling. The weather was beautiful. Some days it was sunny, the others it was either cloudy, raining or snowing. I think that is the best thing about hills. The weather is unpredictable," she said.

The artiste also finds the title track of the film, which has been composed by Aamlaann Chakraabarty and features vocals by Sidhu, to be quite intriguing and feels it goes well with the plot.

The Eken will be released in theatres on 14 April, the last day of the Bengali calendar. “I wish everyone a Happy Bengali New Year, which is on 15 April. I hope everyone will enjoy the film on the big screen,” she said.