Parambrata and Raima open up about their new film, Abar Hawa Bodol | Indulge

[00:00:00]I think it is very important and very crucial for Raima to navigate through every single day.

[00:00:07]>> [laughter] >> No, I mean I'm very happy with my life.

[00:00:12]>> See, you have to understand Raima is a very beautiful woman and people go to watch a movie or show because they want to watch her.

[00:00:19]>> That's the first compliment he's ever given me.

[00:00:21]>> That's nice.

[00:00:23]On camera, I meant.

[00:00:24]>> I am more of a director now. When I when it's coming out.

[00:00:34]>> [music] >> Welcome to another episode of Indulge podcast.

[00:00:40]Uh today we have Bengal's two very favorite actors, Parambrata Chatterjee and Raima Sen with us. And we will be talking about their upcoming film Abar Hawabodol.

[00:00:50]So, 13 years later part So, what has changed? What is new for the character? We have we see Jeet and Raima and Tonuka come back. So, what has changed for them?

[00:01:08]>> I think their respective positions have changed.

[00:01:10]You know, in Hawabodol we had seen a very uh well-established uh Jeet uh and Tonuka being a slightly aggrieved wife.

[00:01:28]Very well settled. And professionally Jeet was doing well. He was doing well.

[00:01:40]Whereas Jeet was struggling. He was struggling a little. And then the problems between Tonuka and Jeet have only increased rather than decreasing. So, increased to what extent? That the film will tell. But >> Sequels always come with challenges. So, as a director as well as actors, how do you deal with that?

[00:02:14]>> No, you go first as a director. I'll say as an actor.

[00:02:17]>> What do you want to know?

[00:02:18]>> [laughter] >> Sequels come with challenges, okay?

[00:02:27]Audience wants to know so as an actor how do you navigate?

[00:02:31]>> This is a should be a director answer to the question to the director actually.

[00:02:35]>> He's responsible for the part two and he's responsible for us coming after 13 years together again. I think it was more challenging for the director to navigate than us.

[00:02:44]>> I think it is more importantly I think it is very important and very crucial for Raima to navigate through every single day.

[00:02:54]>> [laughter] >> I don't find anything so challenging.

[00:03:12]I'm taking one day at a time. I'm present in the moment and I take each day as it comes.

[00:03:20]>> [laughter] >> Each day as it comes.

[00:03:25]>> [laughter] >> The challenge is about navigating sequels.

[00:03:31]No, I know. I I got your question. I have I have not had any challenges in understanding or comprehending your question.

[00:03:38]So, I feel that the moral challenge would have to come after my daughter's character and after the movie when it had almost cult status it had to come.

[00:03:52]She had a lot of expectations and had to come.

[00:03:55]>> People want to see the the characters doing similar kind of things.

[00:04:01]>> Mhm.

[00:04:02]>> So she's trying to Having been a part of quite a few sequels.

[00:04:13]The sequel needs to be bigger than the first one.

[00:04:27]to make it scale wise and emotionally both ways to make it this film bigger than the first one.

[00:04:33]>> Correct.

[00:04:49]Mhm.

[00:04:51]>> So what I can do is I can bring in new layers to it.

[00:04:54]>> Okay.

[00:04:55]>> New crisis, new emotional crisis. Also, I can the backdrop of lighting London.

[00:05:25]>> When you're making sequels, do you think are you playing safe or are you taking a risk? What do you think?

[00:05:33]>> Both.

[00:05:34]>> Okay.

[00:05:47]>> I want to go to the hotel and get a room.

[00:05:50]I want to look. I want to get a party to the I want to be with you. I want to go to the party. I want to be in class 10.

[00:05:57]I want to be I want to be with you.

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[00:06:52]I want to be with you and I want to be with >> [laughter] >> I want to be with you.

[00:06:58]I want to be with you. I want to be with you and I want to be with you and I want to be with I want to I want to be with you and I want to be with you and I I want to be Absolutely. I want to be with you. I want to be with you and I want to be with you and I want to be with you. I want to be with you.

[00:07:11]I want to be with you.

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[00:07:21]I want to be with you and I want to be with I want to be with you and I want to be with you and I want to be with I want to be I want to be with I want to be with you and I want to be with you.

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[00:07:32]I want to be with you and I want to be with you. I want to be with you and I want to be with you and I want to be with I want to be with you.

[00:07:39]I want to be with you. I want to be with you and I I want to be with you and I want to be with you and I want to be with you and I want to be with you. I want to >> Right.

[00:08:10]>> Well, and Param has directed some important stuff.

[00:08:12]>> Before I bought Howa Bodol you directed?

[00:08:15]Before Howa Bodol you directed?

[00:08:16]>> No, that's what I'm saying. I had I had, but so little.

[00:08:20]>> Only one or two.

[00:08:21]One.

[00:08:25]>> [laughter] >> But I have also Param who directs.

[00:08:30]She had a lot of fun.

[00:08:39]>> Director Parambrata or co-star Param?

[00:08:42]>> I think director Parambrata. He's very irritating as a co-star.

[00:08:46]>> But director money he has no choice now.

[00:08:48]So, he's better for me as a director.

[00:08:51]>> Okay.

[00:08:51]>> So, that's >> Then he doesn't pull my leg too much. As a co-star [laughter] he keeps carrying on ragging me. So, I prefer him as a director.

[00:08:58]>> Director Param >> Yeah.

[00:09:08]>> I don't I mean he's a good director. Oh.

[00:09:12]Shout out that car. I have to get you that car.

[00:09:15]>> Driving shots, driving a scene into multiple shots, too much something my money.

[00:09:25]Less stressful job.

[00:09:27]>> Right.

[00:09:29]>> I don't know I don't know what you are talking about.

[00:09:33]>> Return when for Howa Bodol like 13 years back when you wrote the script? What drew you to the story? I mean, what what was the it factor in the story that made you say yes?

[00:09:48]>> I like the script very much and I like there was Rudra then Param and got along with them.

[00:09:56]Param was directing. So, the whole thing made lot of sense for me.

[00:10:01]>> And what is your take on your character Tonuka? Is she settling for less?

[00:10:06]>> She's not settling for less. So, in Abar Bodol she looks little more problematic than she was looking like in Abar [laughter] Bodol 13 years ago. He stressed her out in more in Abar Bodol.

[00:10:18]>> [laughter] >> Very very stressed now.

[00:10:21]That's why when they asked me what would you advise Tonuka, I'd say not to marry him in the first place.

[00:10:30]>> [laughter] >> unique So, you need to tell me about your inspiration for >> original >> The grass is greener I don't know what I'm going to do with my life.

[00:11:36]Okay.

[00:11:44]No, no, no.

[00:11:46]No.

[00:11:56]Uh Okay.

[00:11:59]Uh acting.

[00:12:02]Uh Shita.

[00:12:07]Shota.

[00:12:10]Juta.

[00:12:12]Juta.

[00:12:17]Mhm.

[00:12:19]So, what if we get a chance to live each other's lives? Shikha and take How would the one to have?

[00:12:27]How would the two to How would the one personally How would the How would the one to do?

[00:12:34]How would the I was not even supposed to direct the film. Mhm. Okay.

[00:12:39]Somebody else was supposed to direct the film. They backed out about 20 25 days before the shoot was supposed to begin.

[00:12:46]Okay. Um for certain reasons. Then I was the creative producer and the actor on the film.

[00:12:52]So, then I sort of stepped in and did the film and I'm very glad that I did.

[00:12:57]But I have to say that See, we all have evolved.

[00:13:03]And I'm hoping I'm also.

[00:13:05]So, money So my song is so much your money.

[00:13:09]I got to know. I can do change to have money.

[00:13:13]I want to be sure we got to have money.

[00:13:14]We got to have money. So, she got to have money. So, the You know, the the bucket of experience is is is much fuller now. She can take I feel I would is a more emotional film. Much more emotionally emotionally sort of touching film. Well, >> How have you when you have to believe you want to go back how have you grown as a director?

[00:13:40]Between the two films.

[00:13:42]>> In 2012 I was an actor who has just come back from England about two years ago who has had couple of very successful films very recently. In 2012 when I when I directed our bubble and me wanting to direct at this point was a bit of a money and I cannot get that money you know.

[00:14:04]And but I was very hungry to make make films and to direct.

[00:14:08]Whereas in when our bubble has been made then 12 more years of past 12 13 more years of past. I have had some very successful films as an actor some very unsuccessful films as an actor some very successful films as a director some unsuccessful unsuccessful films as a director some very successful shows series as a director in fact. So I am more of a director now. When I when our bubble is coming coming out.

[00:14:40]Rather than what it used to be in 2012 13.

[00:14:44]>> We were talking about the grass being green on the other side.

[00:14:47]So the media is going to come and say you thought you know what if I had that life.

[00:14:54]>> No. I'm not talking about that. I'm very happy with my life.

[00:14:57]>> Are you my character going to be and >> What if I have to say I shouldn't have married him.

[00:15:03]>> That is her only thought.

[00:15:05]>> Only yes that's her only thought.

[00:15:07]>> I talk about motherhood in the film.

[00:15:10]>> How?

[00:15:12]>> When you have an emotionally unavailable husband how does Tanuka navigate that through all these years that I think Tanuka adores her son Kabir. I mean so I don't think that's a burden on her. I think Tonuka's burden is her husband.

[00:15:30]>> [laughter] >> She doesn't. She doesn't. She in fact She really cares for him.

[00:15:37]>> Which is why she's still with him.

[00:15:42]>> Sometimes a lot of care looks like a lot of apparent strictness.

[00:15:51]That she has for them.

[00:15:53]>> So after what you're saying I should be the characters that are growing up. You as individuals have also grown up.

[00:16:05]>> See I mean I joined when I did my first film Godmother when I I was only 17 years old.

[00:16:13]I didn't know anything. So I mean there was no formal training. There was nothing.

[00:16:18]I went on the set and I learned on the set. So after that I mean I just started getting offers automatically. So I mean what I'm saying my experience has been just learning from everyone, learning from the different films that I did and no bookish knowledge as such but definitely I got practical experience.

[00:16:36]So I have learned along the way through various films and I've got to work with some of the best directors and co-actors and I've learned from them.

[00:16:44]So what I am today is because of everything that I have done in the last 25 years.

[00:16:54]>> I also joined films or acting at a very young age at the age of 19, 20 or so.

[00:16:59]But I At the same time by the way we are here today.

[00:17:18]Uh feature film and over money got it can I can take part I'm also not that I can do the same thing we may not take it A certain number of waking to be over by the new cinema edition to be able to take it over a good over the new over the new over the new over the new I will I can come over that they took over me I can over that has What does mean? So Uh you know I will get a good money distinctly Uh think the body we work over over the new over the new over the new Uh I'm exactly 45 now And I am 45 complete over 30 June And I can divide my life exactly in three parts Uh After that I can take it over the new over the new over the new over the new They took over that over the new over the new over the new over the new over the new over the new over the new over the new I can over that over the new over the new over the new I can over that over the new over the new over the new over the new over the new over the new I can over that over the new over the new over the new over the new over the new over the new I can over that over the new over the new over the new over the new over the new over the new over the new over the I can over that over the new over the new over the new over the new over the new over the new over the new over the new over the new over the new over the new over the new I can over that over the new over the new over the new over the new over the new over the new over the new over the new over the new over the new over the new over the I can over that over the new over the new over the new over the new I can over that over the new over the new I can over that over the new over the new I can over that I can over that over the new over the new over the new over the new over the new over the new over the new over the new over the >> So you took the running shoes best friend On off screen there have been controversies regarding your relationship as friends. So How has that affected your personal relationship?

[00:18:54]>> See I will go back a very long way. We go back to 2001 That's 25 long years Um and this journey has been parted by friendship Uh a lot of initially a lot of fighting over very silly things.

[00:19:16]Then trying to run a company together, then having a fallout on that. Rather we soon realized that cannot be done together.

[00:19:24]Uh, but we remain friends. That's my take.

[00:19:29]Uh, You know, then the other kind of controversies.

[00:19:59]I have enormous respect for him as an actor. Always have. And when we shot this film our film was done.

[00:20:11]We have managed to retain respect for each other as artists.

[00:20:16]Professional courtesy.

[00:20:17]And there is a certain cord of friendship that has not been broken despite so many punctuations >> Right.

[00:20:25]>> uh, on the way.

[00:20:36]>> Art inherently is political.

[00:20:41]So, do you think art should retain that?

[00:20:46]>> I I believe in art retaining that.

[00:20:49]I don't see that happening in India anymore, unfortunately.

[00:20:54]Uh, much. But I think art is incredibly still very political in in other countries.

[00:21:01]Uh, incredibly.

[00:21:06]Sometimes directly, sometimes indirectly. Uh, >> in the US, where, you know, where we have the biggest film industry of the world, even there, um you know, severe criticism about the incumbent is possible.

[00:21:23]And that film gets a normal release.

[00:21:25]>> Yeah.

[00:21:26]>> A kind of A kind of film in the subcontinent and in the subcontinent or uh similar spaces in which the heart of where is the incumbent whatever.

[00:21:37]>> Huh?

[00:21:37]>> Huh.

[00:21:38]I mean, it's just not It's just not It's not from the the people who are running this country or the people who are running this state. Everywhere.

[00:21:45]>> Everywhere.

[00:21:45]>> Everybody at every level of life, people are skeptical of criticism.

[00:21:52]Severe criticism of the state or of the government, they have a certain reaction to it. That's I find that very unfortunate. I mean, even I think I we should as a profession have the the the freedom and the responsibility to critique every person that we strongly support or that we align with. Uh >> Mhm.

[00:22:21]>> Uh So, you know, I think it's a question of uh It's a great thing to question of artistic freedom. It's a question of democratic freedom as well. I hope we can face them with some some >> Hopefully.

[00:22:44]Last question, uh what will the audience take away from the film?

[00:22:49]>> I don't know, man.

[00:22:52]See, you have to understand, cinema is a very beautiful world. And I think people go and watch a movie or show because it's a watch movie.

[00:22:59]>> That's the first compliment he's ever given me. That's nice. That's on camera.

[00:23:03]>> On camera, I meant. So, people >> Do you agree? Do you have anything?

[00:23:15]>> I'm happy. Thank you.

[00:23:17]>> [laughter] >> But what do you think the audience will take away when they walk out?

[00:23:20]>> Okay, it's a it's a fun film. They'll enjoy it.

[00:23:23]>> And will they >> They'll see us all together after 13 years.

[00:23:29]I hope so.

[00:23:32]>> [laughter] >> But I hope so.

[00:23:38]>> So at least I'm playing his wife, so I'll be there in all.

[00:23:41]>> [laughter] >> Uh thank you so much for the wonderful chat. And yes, we hope that all of you watch Abar Hawar Bodol releasing on June 12th.

[00:23:55]Thank you.

[00:23:57]>> [music]