I don’t want to act randomly anymore: Parambrata

I never got to see my parents grow old,” said Parambrata Chatterjee, his voice carrying a soft weight of loss and longing. “They passed away when I was young and I miss their presence even more as time goes on. Perhaps that’s why I’ve always been drawn to older couples. I love watching their small gestures, the way they argue and bicker, yet drop everything to care for each other if something goes wrong. Is that love, habit, trust or friendship? I believe it’s all of these, wrapped together in a lifetime of togetherness.”

It didn’t take long for Parambrata to feel connected to the story of an elderly couple that Chiranjib shared with him in Mumbai in 2023. While the original idea stayed the same, Parambrata reworked much of it to make ‘Ei Raat Tomar Amar’ more relatable to a Bengali audience. “The situations and the emotions needed to feel rooted in our culture,” he said.

The story follows Amar (Anjan Dutt) and Jaya (Aparna Sen), a couple married for 50 years. On the night of their wedding anniversary, they confront years of unspoken words, bottled-up emotions and hidden pain.

“Even after 50 years together, there are still parts of our partner we don’t fully understand. That unknown, that discovery, even after so much time, is what fascinated me. Young love is exciting, but elderly love has its own charm. It’s layered with history, patience and quiet understanding,” said Parambrata, who has earlier directed films like ‘Abhijaan’, ‘Hawa Bodol’, ‘Boudi Canteen’ and ‘Lorai’.

Having a stalwart director-actor like Aparna Sen onboard was an added advantage for the film. Parambrata mentioned that the ‘Mr. & Mrs. Iyer’ maker played an important role in shaping the story. “Rina mashi (as he fondly calls Aparna Sen) suggested adding more conflict between the couple and now I understand how much that enriched the film. Her suggestions gave the story more depth, making the characters and their struggles feel more real,” said Parambrata, who was convinced that he wouldn’t make the film if Sen and Dutt weren’t part of the project.

The city of Kolkata also influenced the narrative. “Kolkata feels like an aging city. Many elderly parents live here alone while their children are working or studying abroad. This film will touch the hearts of those who’ve left their parents behind and those who live with them, facing the challenges of aging relationships every day. But truth be told, I am interested in having conversations with the elderly and the youngsters more than with people of my age,” he smiled.

Parambrata tied the knot with Piya Chakraborty, a singer and social worker, in November 2023. The actor-director has been in relationships before, including one that lasted 11 years. However, they eventually went their separate ways. Being in a married relationship has taught him much about understanding, patience and adapting to each other’s habits, which are key to nurturing a strong bond. “I want to grow old with Piya. She’s my best friend. The biggest challenge in a relationship is when the honeymoon period is over and you get to know each other’s habits - even the small, annoying ones. The language of love changes and that’s what makes it so special,” he said.

At present, his portrayal of a queer character in Srijit Mukherji’s ‘Shotyi Bole Shotyi Kichhu Nei’ is winning hearts. It was only later that he learned the late Rituparno Ghosh was originally considered for the role. Lately, Parambrata has made a conscious decision to be more selective with his projects, choosing to focus his energy on direction and production rather than taking on roles randomly.

“After the pandemic, I did a lot of work - some I’m happy with and some I later regretted. It made me realise I want to focus on good work. Acting has given me everything, but now I’m more interested in directing and producing films. I don’t want to act randomly,” said Parambrata, who will soon start shooting for Srijit’s ‘Killbill Society’, a sequel to the hit 2012 Bengali film ‘Hemlock Society’.