Shaheb Bhattacherjee: Embracing the Small Screen Again

This year marks actor Shaheb Bhattacherjee's 15th anniversary in the business. The actor has established his own "slow but steady" graph, going from being the adorable chocolate boy who captured our hearts as Topshe in the Feluda movies to mastering more somber roles in more recent web series like Detective and Bonyo Premer Golpo. His career has included television from the start, from serials to captivating audiences with his endearing hosting of reality shows. His return to TV serials was announced in a recent social media post. Shaheb shares more details in a t2 chat...

You began your career on the TV series Bandhan, and now, nearly fifteen years later, you're returning to serials. What spurred this change in direction?

The films I produce are geared toward an urban viewership. I believe that now is the ideal moment to connect with more people. Five to five and a half crore people watch television every evening in and around Calcutta, in the larger Bengal region, and in Bangladesh as well. I believe I could reach a sizable audience with my work. TV is doing very well. Television has been making offers to me for a while now, but I thought this was a good time to make the move.

What about your role or the Kotha script piqued your interest?

The idea struck me as being incredibly original because television stories typically feature an idealistic husband before the marriage spirals out of control. Apart from that, this character represents a shift. Being a well-known chef, the kitchen is his favorite spot to be. He has an incredibly popular food vlog on social media. This is a character I have never played before. I found this to be really cool, even though the girl is dressed very traditionally. The lead couple gets into a humorous fight.

With three projects, 2023 has been a successful year for you in terms of movies and OTT. Watching TV means putting in a lot of overtime. Was this a difficult decision to make?

I have no fear of working hard at anything. Every craft demands a different level of perseverance and hard work, but working in television means you have to be a little more consistent in what you do. I believe that if I put in a lot of effort and work long hours, I will succeed in the television industry.

After all this time, returning to a serial shoot floor, are you noticing any differences in the way that the shooting is going?

(laughs) The co-actors that I used to work with in 2008 and 2009, though not particularly in my serial The people who used to be my friends, brothers, and fellow students are now my uncles, or kaku jethu! I find that feeling to be really peculiar. (Laughs) I find it somewhat shocking as well. In terms of technical aspects, television shots differ as well. My director was giving me some technical challenges in the early going, but I think I've got the hang of it now (laughs).

You had stopped watching TV serials after the first two. Was that intentional shift into movies?

In actuality, it was a careeristic move. Those who began working on television in 2008 or 2009 were not given consideration for movies. Although these divisions existed, it's astounding how much the film industry has changed over the years and how much these divisions have vanished. An actor can explore the entire performance platform as film actors are coming to television, television actors are acting in films, film actors are doing web series, and so on. For an actor, it's a great opportunity to experiment rather than specialize.

Since you have hosted numerous reality shows, it seems as though you never truly left television. Has your preference for small screens always been there?

Thanks to reality shows and serials on TV, I had a big start to my career. I got the much-needed boost to my career from it, and people started to recognize me in their homes right away. Many elderly people, as well as uncles and aunts, would constantly advise me to return to television. Therefore, now is the right moment because there is both acceptability and demand.

Many TV viewers have also changed as a result of the abundance of streaming platforms and the easy viewing experience they offer. Did you worry about this when you started back in television?

It's not what I would call a step back. The fact that TV channels now have their own streaming services and that every show is uploaded by the following morning is, in my opinion, a step in the right direction. Because of the episodes, the platform has a large viewership and is accessible from many locations outside of India. I was shocked by how many Bangladeshi people left comments on my Facebook post. This is an evolution that actors must participate in. The OTT platforms' reach is unavoidable. People are now reliant on it. These days, an excellent movie occasionally fails at the box office, but it succeeds on OTT. It's disappointing when you make a craft and no one gets to see it. At this point in my life, I want to be creating something and connecting with as many people as possible.

Do you as an actor care about the medium at all?

Depending on our perspective. My passion for movies will always be there since I will always love them, but we cannot deny that television is a popular medium. Right now, I believe that television is the most effective medium for getting my craft in front of people.

What drives you to select a project at this time?

I've never tried to turn it into a profitable business plan or turned it into an Urbana apartment. That is not how I have ever pursued it. I've always been dedicated to it and have followed it as a craft. This place serves as my temple of prayer, where I get up, work out, and do everything an actor could possibly need to get into character. When you put in effort and are truthful in your work, your craft will eventually pay off. I have a lot of confidence in it.

What aspects of your acting career have you developed since 2008?

Every actor grows more mature as an actor the more life experiences they have, the more they venture out into the world, meet people, and engage in social interactions. My life has been filled with a variety of experiences since 2008. I've done a lot of traveling, worked in a variety of media, started performing on stage, and produced plays, dance, movies, and web series. Your acting gets better the more people you see and the more people you meet.

When you took this role, did you watch your first serial again?

No, I lacked the courage to! (laughs) I lack the bravery to watch my own films when I'm working on a new project. If not, I do watch my own work, but I tend to be very critical of it.

Do you believe you have had enough opportunities in the Bengali industry?

Many people ask me this question, but I believe it is specific to one movie or project. I genuinely think that not enough has been done to explore the actors of our generation. Upon the success of a Jeetda, Param (Parambrata Chattopadhyay), or Abir (Chatterjee), there has been a dearth of noteworthy roles for the actors of the future. Many actors from my generation have made the transition to television, and while I believe they all came from the same place, to each his own. It's a good film, in my opinion, and it has the power to completely change everything. I have no remorse or grievances regarding their underutilization of me. We have no idea what the future holds for us. We need to be ready. My luck is that we have a good opportunity if we are prepared with our craft. However, I don't wait for a better casting, better director, or better channel to approach me. I don't wait for that one perfect opportunity to present itself; instead, I seize every chance that arises, believing it to be the best opportunity I've been looking for.

Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Press Time staff and has been published from a syndicated feed.