Jisshu Sengupta flags Bengal’s theatre disaster

Each Durga Puja, the battle for theatres and prime present timings stays a recurring drawback for Bengali cinema. This yr is not any totally different, with 4 big-ticket releases, together with ‘Bohurupi: The Golden Daku’, the sequel to the blockbuster ‘Bohurupi’, vying for display area. Directed by Nandita Roy and Shiboprosad Mukhopadhyay, ‘Bohurupi: The Golden Daku’ introduces Jisshu Sengupta to the franchise as a cop. Has he changed Abir Chatterjee, who performed the cop within the 2024 blockbuster? Not precisely, Jisshu clarified, stating that Abir’s character and his personal have totally different tales to inform.

In the meantime, the actor didn’t draw back from highlighting the theatre disaster in Bengal. When he transitioned from TV to movies (round 1999), Bengal had practically 700 cinema halls. As we speak, the quantity has dwindled to fewer than 200, with many in a dilapidated situation. Jisshu made his tv debut in 1998 with ‘Mahaprabhu’. The actor mentioned that he had raised the problem of dwindling cinema halls not too long ago, when the state authorities and Tollywood stars got here collectively to have fun the delivery centenary of Uttam Kumar.

“There was speak of changing small auditoriums into mini-plexes. Let’s see the way it seems,” he mentioned.

Jisshu is not any stranger to Nandita Roy and Shiboprosad Mukhopadhyay’s manufacturing home. After ‘Posto’ in 2017 and ‘Baba, Child O…’ in 2021, he’s now a part of the ‘Bohurupi’ sequel, which releases this Puja. Nevertheless, the actor doesn’t signal on to tasks just because Shiboprosad affords him a job. Actually, Shiboprosad, who reprised his position as dacoit Bikram Pramanik from the primary movie, was fast to level this out.

“He listens to each phrase and needs to know the way his character will probably be woven into the script,” the director mentioned.

Initially, Jisshu was a bit hesitant about coming into the ‘Bohurupi’ universe as a cop, given the success of the 2024 movie and the appreciation Abir acquired for his efficiency. But, the state of affairs reminded him of one other franchise he had stepped into after Abir.

“I bear in mind Abir did a improbable job as Byomkesh Bakshi in Anjan Dutt’s movies. Later, he left the franchise and I used to be roped in. I knew I needed to do it in a different way and fortunately, the viewers appreciated my efficiency. In ‘Bohurupi’ too, Abir’s portrayal of a cop was immensely praised. So, I wished to carry my very own model of a cop to the display,” mentioned the actor, who continues to stability tasks throughout Bollywood, Bengali cinema and the South Indian movie business.

In the meantime, it has been a busy yr for Jisshu. He made his debut as a Bengali movie producer with ‘Abhhiman’, starring Saurav Das, Prosenjit Chatterjee and Subhashree Ganguly. His different tasks embrace ‘Mardaani 3’, ‘Bhoot Bangla’, ‘Haiwaan’, ‘Brown’ and ‘Clear Up Firm’.

Amid rumours that he’s spending extra time in Bengal than earlier than due to an alleged rift with Bollywood, the actor, recognized for ‘The Trial’, dismissed the hypothesis. He maintained that his skilled decisions and commitments mattered greater than what individuals mentioned about him.

“It doesn’t matter what anybody says. ‘Abhhiman’ wanted all my consideration and its theatrical enterprise is significantly better than that of a number of Bengali movies that organise two or three success events. I’ve big-budget Hindi and South Indian movies arising. So, let the naysayers say what they wish to,” he mentioned.

Jisshu additionally revealed that he and Saurav Das are planning their subsequent Bengali manufacturing, which might go on flooring in 2027.