Abir on workplace safety for women: ‘Important to keep the conversations going’
Abir Chatterjee is no stranger to the Durga Puja box office race. In 2022, his adventure thriller ‘Karnasubarner Guptodhon’ became one of the highest-grossing Bengali films ever. He followed up in 2023 with another thriller, ‘Raktabeej’, where he portrayed the tough IPS officer Pankaj Sinha. The film, directed by Nandita Roy and Shiboprosad Mukhopadhyay, also emerged as a box office winner. This year, Abir has teamed up again with the hit director duo for the Puja thriller ‘Bohurupi’, where he plays SI Sumanta Ghosal.
However, the mood in Kolkata this Puja season is sombre due to the recent rape and murder at RG Kar Hospital. Many Bengali celebrities have faced public anger despite coming out to protest against the crime. While many netizens have praised their involvement, others have criticised them for also promoting their work during this time. On August 15, Abir’s romantic Bengali film ‘Babli’, based on Buddhadeb Guha’s iconic novel, was released amidst citywide protests. Abir is pleased that, despite the unrest, audiences still appreciated his work in the film.
The actor also acknowledges there’s concern about whether people will be in the right frame of mind to watch films during this puja. As a result, fewer Bengali films are releasing this year compared to previous ones. But for Abir, the focus remains on doing his work with sincerity. “I’ll never force or beg my audience to watch my film. The city’s mood this Puja is unlike any other and we are all equally disturbed,” he said. However, he pointed out, “All three films ‘Bohurupi’, ‘Tekka’ and ‘Shastri’ - explore socio-political themes.”
Now, police officer Sumanta in ‘Bohurupi’ is nothing like IPS Pankaj Sinha in ‘Raktabeej’. “Pankaj Sinha was diplomatic, didn’t lose his calm and we knew nothing about his personal life. But Bohurupi’s cop Sumanta has a personal story that is just as important as the main plot,” said the ‘Alaap’ actor.
His ‘Bohurupi’ co-star Ritabhari Chakraborty recently met Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, urging her to form a committee in Tollywood similar to the Hema Committee from the Malayalam industry. When asked how important it is to keep discussions about sexual exploitation and women’s safety going, especially considering how the #MeToo movement faded after a while, Abir didn’t hesitate to mention how many fail to understand the real meaning of ‘professionalism’ in the industry. “As film professionals, we work in close proximity with co-stars, so it’s critical to understand mutual respect, dignity and professionalism. While women have raised most of the issues - and rightly so - sexual exploitation occurs regardless of gender. It’s crucial to keep conversations about women’s safety in the workplace and exploitation alive,” said the ‘Bishorjon’ actor.
Reminiscing, he recalled 2018, when he was in Mumbai and first heard about the Hema Committee. One of his co-stars was part of the core group. “I remember we spent the entire night discussing it. But I believe this issue needs to be handled with sensitivity and sensibility. We can’t be judgmental. It’s a long process and we need to approach it with an open mind,” he added.
