In a role reversal of sorts, Alik Sukh actor-theatre personality Deb Shankar Halder now wears the patient's gown way to the OT in a Bengali flick, where his role is loosely modeled on a temperamental violinist of yore.
"Apparently the audience now wants to see me in a new role, we actors can't be typecast anytime and should mould ourselves. From the character of doctor in Alik Sukh I am now on the reverse side, as the movie goers may not like me wielding the stetho again," the Muktodhara 'Jailor' told PTI on the sets of 'E Ki Labanye'.
About his character of a violinist in 'E Ki Labanye', Deb Shankar said, "I am portraying a mercurial personality, very artisitically inclined and rigid in terms of not selling his art to anybody, not for any price."
In an important scene of the film he is confronted by his estranged danceuse wife, another celebrity, while being taken for surgery.
Asked about hjs favourite character, Debshankar said, "There can't be any favourite character for an actor. It is more important to gain acceptability to the common people."
"However,", he added as an afterthought, "There can be some characters which appeared to be my dream roles at the outset."
Asked which egged him on, people's adulation live on stage or facing the camera which was apparently keeping him more preoccupied these days, Debshankar said, "I will be late for my next shot if I have to answer this now."
'O Henry' lead actor Locket Chatterjee, portraying the role of danceuse, said "Like every single multi-takser woman in real life, here my character also seeks to be a 'dasobhuja' juggling with the outside world and the sulking artiste husband.
"Sharing screen space with Debshankar Halder is an experience though we were part of the ensemble cast in comic caper Chhoye Chhuti. He is a veteran artiste, a theatre personality and it helps if you have such a co-actor."
In Alik Sukh, screened in Cannes film mart, Debshankar was paired opposite Rituparna Sengupta, on-screen wife of a successful doctor facing moral turpitude in the wake of the death of a patient.
E Ki Labanye Director Anindya Sarkar said, "The role reversal for Debshankar, from doctor in a previous film to patient this time was deliberate, aimed at making the audience sit up and take note."
About the tussle between a celebrity couple, the central theme of the movie, he said "Art is the reflection of life. I had seen such people in my over two decade long stint In showbiz though the celluloid version has to be a bit cinematic."
The film, its title drawn from a timeless Tagore number, has references to a legendary European violinist's life but the makers will not spill the beans.
