I Have A Huge Emotional Connect With Paramount: Rahul Arunoday Banerjee

A photographer having trouble in his marital life that escalate when his wife faces with an accident and suffers from selective memory loss. ZEE5 Original film Bhalobashar Shohor – Paramount, is a story of love with a twist. It depicts how love is not just about being hunky dory and instead, it is about having the back of your loved one no matter what. In this latest Bengali film, actor Rahul Arunoday Banerjee plays the role of Shubho, a photographer who is going through tough times with his wife Rita (played by Payal Sarkar). On their anniversary, they have a fight and Rita meets with an accident which wipes all her memories of Shubho. Will she be able to remember him and their love again? The answers lie in Bhalobashar Shohor – Paramount. In the meantime, we caught up with the actor in between shots. Scroll down to read the edited excerpts:

Q. What made you decide to do ZEE5 Original film Bhalobashar Shohor – Paramount?

A. Actually, if you go to Paramount, you will find my photo among the photos of celebrities that are hung up on the walls. That is because I have a huge emotional connect with Paramount. I think that traditional eateries of Bengal, though it is technically a sharbat destination, have huge history. Like the formula for the Daab Sharbat was done by Acharya Prafulla Chandra Roy. Satyajit Ray used to come here to have sharbat. I feel thrilled that maybe he had discussed the script of Pather Panchali here. Netaji used to come here. Ami prochondo bhabe Bangali and I have this huge connect with old Kolkata things. I keep on searching for them. Whenever I get free time, I discover new places of old Kolkata where I haven’t been before. So, it was only very normal for me to agree to the script.

Q. How did you prepare for your role?

A. Shubho has a struggling phase where his wife doesn’t remember anything. I have been through a similar phase as a human being. It’s not like I went through exactly this, but I have had tough times in my married life, I have had crisis. So as a human being, I have a similarity with this character. When he was young, after he got married and then when responsibilities came, he changed as a person. Then again, he also has a guilty feeling because when the accident happened, he and Rita were in the middle of a fight. All these shades were so clear in the script that it was not very tough for me to prepare at all.

Q. How did you build the character of Shubho?

A. Shubho is a photographer. I am an actor. One similarity is that both us belong to the creative field. If I was suddenly told to do the role of a bidiwala or a rickshawwala, then it would have been tough to get those physicality right. But an actor and a photographer are more like different branches of creativity. So, I didn’t have to think much about the physicality. The character is very loyal but goes through a crisis where he cannot explain his loyalty. It can happen in your workplace too – how do you prove your loyalty, especially when the person at the opposite end doesn’t want to believe it? it’s like dewal er against e matha thoka.

Q. Any memorable shooting experience during Bhalobashar Shohor – Paramount?

A. They were so happy to have me there. They treated me to a lot of free sharbats. The people of Paramount also love me because I have highlighted the place in so many interviews. They had also served during my wedding. The College Street para is my favourite because ami boi pagol lok. In the middle of shooting, I went to Dey’s bookstore and bought a lot of books. Very few shoots happen in such locations. Working with Payal (Sarkar) was also very nice.

Q. What is your favourite sharbat in Paramount?

A. Daab Sharbat any day.

Q. What do you think makes Kolkata bhalobashar shohor?

A. It gives you the chance to make mistakes. Very few cities will give you that chance. In Kolkata, even if you make a mistake, you can stand up the next day again and live your life. In these days, there is so much speed in cities, it doesn’t give anyone the scope to make mistakes.

Q. What are your favourite dating spots?

A. Paramount is there on the top of the list and I am not saying that because I have done this film. People who know me know this. In fact, the entire College Street area is my favourite dating spot. Obviously, I have to have a like-minded person who loves books and their smell. I also like Dhakuria Lake. I have also dated around the Nandan area.

Q. What are your future projects?

A. I am currently working on Kali, Season 2. I have a film coming up in the next three months. Also, I have some TV projects going on.

What are your favourite dating spots? Let us know in the comments below. For more entertainment, watch the latest Jeet starrer Shesh Theke Shuru on ZEE5.