Prosenjit, or Bumbada as he is fondly called by everyone, is a legend in Bengali cinema

In Mumbai you see a lot of new and fresh thoughts

Prosenjit, or Bumbada as he is fondly called by everyone, is a legend in Bengali cinema and it is to his credit that he does not wish to rest on his laurels but has ventured to almost begin anew in the Hindi film industry. Bengal’s biggest star, with 327 films to his credit, explains his vision. To hear the entire conversation log onto www.follo.co.in/prosenjit on your mobile

Do you ever get the feeling of now what? No, not at all! My day starts with the hope that I will start with something new. 

Is there any actor whom you particularly admire either in Hindi or in Bengali? When I was young, I was a big fan of Sanjeev Kumar, Uttam Kumar, Soumitra Chatterjee, Naseeruddin Shah, and Kamal Haasan. I also completely admire Mr Bachchan. As a child, I have watched him in films like Deewaar and Zanjeer. Now he is working with the new generation directors and has changed his entire image from the Amitabh of Deewaar to the one in Paa. He is an icon.

What after Shanghai? After Shanghai, I got a lot of offers. But I was travelling a lot, so I wasn’t serious about Hindi cinema. Now I am more serious and am doing a film called Traffic, which is a remake of a hit Malayalam film. It’s again a role of a superstar. I am also doing a Bengali-Hindi film with Onir, with Juhi as my costar. Some more script sessions are on and, if the characters are good, I might do them. 

What is it about Hindi cinema that attracts you? What I like about Mumbai is that you see a lot of new and fresh thoughts. I said yes to Dibakar Banerjee (Shanghai) because of my faith in his work and the kind of films he has done. I am looking at those directors who don’t want the superstar, legend, or the action hero Prosenjit. I want someone who will bring out a new Prosenjit and I feel that will happen in Mumbai. 

How do you look so much younger than your age?
It’s simple, you have to learn to just say no. 

Do you have a wishlist of directors that you’d love to work with In Bollywood? Tigmanshu (Dhulia) is one. I have just done a film with Soumik Sen and I’d like to work with him again. Mani Ratnam has always been one of my favourite directors. He also had seen my work at a lot of festivals and we share a good relationship. Sujoy (Ghosh) and Shoojit Sircar are also good. 

Which of your Bengali films would you like to see dubbed in Hindi? I’d rather have my films remade in Hindi. There are many films that I have done recently, like Autograph, that I feel should be remade in Hindi, even if I don’t act in them. 

Any message for your follo'ers? When we open a newspaper or switch on a news channel, we just see blood. My only request is to promote peace. Let’s be patient and curb our anger. We are answerable to the next generation. They can’t grow up surrounded by violence. Let’s be more tolerant.

Prosenjit