Bengali actor Saurav Das plays a significant role in Jeet-Rukmini Maitra starrer upcoming Bengali film Boomerang, a sci-fi romantic film directed by Sauvik Kundu. IBNS correspondent Souvik Ghosh speaks to Saurav on the film, comedy and married life...

Q. We don't come across sci-fi films too often, not just in Bengali but pan-India. How was it?

A. I felt great. Honestly, I opted for the film not for sci-fi but for my character. Obviously, kudos to Jeet-da and his team for attempting such a genre, which is rarely explored. But to my understanding, this film is a complete entertainer. I haven't been a part of this kind of an energetic film for long. Upon reading the script, I felt the pace of the film was nice.

Q. Do you intend to opt for a comedy film after playing an intense role?

A. Yes. I worked in Boomerang because I have done a lot of grey-shaded characters recently. Even my last work- Paashbalish- also falls in that zone. When I heard the script from Sauvik (Sauvik Kundu, director), I felt it was a breather.

Q. What was the brief for your role? Was there any?

A. Yes, Sauvik had given a brief as the director. He was the one to conceive the film and the role. When I read the script, I did it in my own version. The combination of the two yields the result on the floor. Sauvik is saying he is happy with what I have pulled off. But ultimately, the audience's response matters.

Q. Could you guess which role will strike a chord with the audience?

A. It's very tough for me to give the appropriate answer. Obviously, I don't know which role will click or not. Otherwise, I would have delivered all the hits. But there are certain roles of which I was sure of creative waves. Like for Montu Pilot, I had texted Debaloy-da the night before the release being optimistic about its success. The rest is history. But there were instances where my predictions went completely wrong (laughs).

In Boomerang, I will be honest in saying I feel the audience will like my work. There is a chance of having my character connecting with the audience.

Q. Have you changed your approach to roles or do you follow the same process?

A. Certain changes have come with time, of course. In the initial years of my career, I used to remain aloof for intense roles. There have been instances where I remained carefree during shooting and went with the flow. In Guti Mallar, I just went with the flow provided by my solid homework. It was tough to get a grasp of the heart of the character. When I got a hold of it, I was through. Once I get the heart of a character, the rest comes naturally to me.

Q. You have recently got married. How are you managing personal and professional lives post marriage?

A. It's a responsibility of both the persons involved in the marriage. It is tougher because both of us are working. The balancing act is really tough. Darshana is shooting in Bangladesh right now while I am busy promoting Boomerang. Marriage is a two-way work, partnership to be precise. One of the two will break down if he/she assumes all the responsibilities and pressure. A balance and keeping things simple are the key.

Q. How involved are you in your cafe business (Saurav Das runs Hodol's cafe in Kolkata)?

A. I visit my cafe on my off days. Obviously, I hold a meeting with the co-owner and manager of the cafe every night.

(File images by Avishek Mitra/IBNS)