‘I focus on the character’: Dibyendu Bhattacharya, who was last seen in the film Mission Raniganj, says he wants to live as many lives as he can on screen through the characters he essays

Sheetal

Actor Dibyendu Bhattacharya, last seen in the film Mission Raniganj, calls himself a yes man for being unable to say no to offers similar to what he has already done. He explains, “I always say yes to the project because I always think that I can bring out some detailing in the roles offered. I would like to believe that I have successfully managed to bring variety into every role that I have done so far. I take it as a challenge.”

Dibyendu hails from West Bengal, his mother tongue helped him play the roles. If in Guddu Rangeela, he played Bangali, in Undekhi, he played DSP Ghosh from West Bengal and a Bengali character, D Sen, in the latest theatrical release Mission Raniganj. “Yes, I have played a Bengali guy in all these. I have a huge respect for my mother tongue. I am a proud Bengali and a proud Indian. But I have also performed and appreciated for other roles, be it DSP Ghosh in Undekhi, Prof Mehdi Raza in Rocket Boys or Martin Gilbert Ekka in Maharani Season 2.”

He continued, “To me, only the role matters. I focus on the character — whether it is effective or not. The character has to be the catalyst and its action should bring about changes in the script. The role should be substantial, whether it is a Punjabi or Bengali character.”

Role call

Not ready to pick between films and OTT, he praises theatre too. He shared, “I love to do theatre because there are thousands of people live in front of me. That’s a different kick altogether. Whereas in the case of OTT platforms, we can watch it in our private domains, so I love every process of it.”

Dibyendu’s role from Maharani Season 2 is highly appreciated and he shares how the character of honest civil servant Martin Gilbert Ekka came into being. “Working with Subhash Kapoor (creator of Maharani) is always fun. He is a fantastic director, a visionary and master craftsman. When he offered me the character, it was because I resonate with Ekka as far as his love for theatre goes. Even the entry of Ekka starts with the speech of Mark Anthony from Julius Caesar. The credit goes to Subhash Kapoor for creating a character like this.” He is happy that Rocket Boys, a project he has been part of, is nominated for Emmys. “I think money and fame are just the by-products of our profession; it’s the validation we seek, which of course comes in the form for awards,” he opines.

Being an actor

On the sole purpose of being an actor, Dibyendu shares, “I wish to live as many lives as I can onscreen through my characters. And no one would ever dream as an artiste to be typecast because of how they appear or where they are from. So, I have taken conscious steps to not repeat myself in roles. I try to play things differently each time.” As for upcoming projects, Dibyendu has shot for Undekhi Season 3 and currently shooting for Maharani Season 3. He has also done a cameo in Sonu Sood’s film Fateh and has an important role in Anushka-starrer Chakda Xpress.