Quotes of All Topics . Occasions . Authors
I am open to do a Telugu, Tamil or Malayali movie. If I get a good script and good character, I will surely do it.
Star Theatre in Shyambazar makes up a big chapter in my life. I worked there for three years during my struggling days.
I'm very happy that whenever we talk about Bengali cinema anywhere in India, people talk about me with a lot of respect.
Earlier, people used to say no to regional films, but now people all over the world have started watching Bengali cinema.
I was never serious about Bollywood films, but when I was offered a film like 'Shanghai,' I took it because it is a good film.
I used to sit on the editing table to see where I may have gone wrong because after editing, only the good parts go on screen.
Since 80% of my career has been devoted to successful commercial cinema, I have always been told that I do not know how to act.
Whenever there is a discussion on Tollywood anywhere in the world, people talk about Prosenjit Chatterjee - what else can I ask for?
It's not that I won't do any horror movie. The script has to be good and also the execution has to be perfect to attract the viewers.
Everywhere I go today, people talk about Bengali cinema. I completely refuse to accept that Bengali filmmakers are not making good films.
Well, being fit is not about flaunting muscles or biceps. Being fit is about flexibility and fit is about flexibility and body composition.
After 20 years and 250 mainstream films, I thought I should have in my library at least 50 films, films that will be talked about when I am no more.
I've always said that we must do local cinema but not lose sight of national appeal. That's the way New Theatres, L V Prasad, Gemini Studios operated.
When I was young, we didn't celebrate February 14. For us, Valentine's Day meant Saraswati Puja. And just a single day in a year can't be Valentine's Day.
I love KIFF. No one can stop me from being a part of it. I have always watched good movies there. Earlier on, that was the only space to watch good cinema.
All of Bengal knows about my differences with my father. He's based in Mumbai. I never visit him. He never visits me. We are not enemies. But neither are we friends.
I want to urge filmmakers in Bengal to choose a subject and mount the film in a way that there's a Bengali connect. They must not fall into the typical remake pattern.
When critics called me a duplicate of my father, I knew I can't do anything about my genes but I ensured that I shed the romantic image and create my individual style.
When people started recognising me as a 'chocolate hero,' I switched on to action movies and became an action star. I kept reinventing myself. it was a continuous process.
As an actor, I understand how difficult it is to simultaneously do diverse roles like Mithunda has done in 'Guru' and 'MLA Fatakeshto.' That's how much respect I have for him.
When a director is remaking a film, he should tweak it, add Bengali sentiments to it and make it look like a regional movie. A copy-paste job is something I don't support at all.
Every year, I have at least one Puja release, but 'Gumnaami' is really special for me. I have come out of my comfort zone for this film. I feel really fortunate to be a part of it.
I do not want to be a part of Hindi cinema's rat race. But yes, if I get offers and characters which I feel would suit me as well as make some difference to me, I will do a Hindi film.
For an actor, who has done so many commercial movies, who has a large chunk of his fan following addressing him as 'guru,' it's not easy to opt for roles that strip one of the stardom.
I respect Malayalam films the same way I respect Bengali films. I think Malayalam films have not compromised on the essence and have kept their own statement and are coming up with very good themes.
I see a lot of similarity between Bengali and Malayalam films regarding the basic emotions, the craftsmanship, art and performance. I also feel both the industries are very true to their art and culture.
I don't have a fixed fitness regime, as everything depends on my work schedule and my fitness instructor. But I make sure that I work out 365 days a year for at least one and a half hours, no matter what.
Shyambazar evokes a strong sense of nostalgia in me. There's not a theatre in that area where I haven't watched a movie. I also have fond memories of going grocery-shopping at Grey Street with my grandparents.
Cinematically, anything like 'Khawto' in Bengali cinema hasn't happened. Yes, you get such films in Hollywood, a few in Bombay. In Bengali literature, you get such stories in the works of Samaresh Basu and Buddhadeb Guha.
We lack good film scriptwriters. People like Anjan Chowdhury who could develop scripts of pure entertainers are quite difficult to find now. There are obviously some exceptions like Padmanabha Dasgupta. But how many scripts can one single Padmanabha Dasgupta churn out!
There used to be times when I used to be bothered about box office, director, producer, the actress... If those ticks were marked, I used to say 'yes' to a film. Later on, my focus absolutely changed. Now if a character stays with me for two to three nights, I say 'yes' to the film.
With excessive digitisation, now, everyone is making films, which is good, but the makers think that they will quickly make films in digital and bag satellite rights but television channels buy satellite rights of notable films only. If we made fewer films a year, percentage of hits would be better.
As children we had traveled only in cars and led a lavish lifestyle. After father and we parted ways, we had little money to afford even petrol; I used to travel to the Tollygunge studios in the south of the city from our Dumdum home in the north by bus. I would do any role that came my way: hero's friend, or brother, or son, just about anything.