Sushant Singh Rajput has joined the ranks of many before him who have essayed Byomkesh Bakshy on-screen, but the actor says his upcoming film is director Dibakar Banerjee’s personal and unique take on the famous fictional detective from Bengali literature.
Detective Byomkesh Bakshy! is based on the tales penned by writer Saradindu Bandyopadhyay. The 29-year-old actor says, even though he may be the 75th Byomkesh in screen history, he never had any doubts about the project because it presents a fresh take on the sleuth. “There are so many TV shows and films about Byomkesh. I am probably the 75th Byomkesh. So, we have the essence of the story in our film but it is a very personal take of Dibakar. Even though it is something that has been done so many times and in different ways, I never had an iota of doubt with Dibakar and Yash Raj on board,” he says.
Playing a character from the 1940’s was not easy for Sushant, who says that initially he experienced difficulties with the nuances and mannerisms of Byomkesh. “The character was in a way very distant from who I thought I was at that point of time. So, convincing myself to be Byomkesh was challenging for me. I had an idea of my own personality and got a hang of the character when I spoke to Dibakar,” he adds.
Dibakar Banerjee says that, for him and producer Aditya Chopra, Sushant was always the first choice for the film. “We needed a young rising star who was a heartthrob. We were looking for a youthful and absolutely different Byomkesh, someone who was just out of college, arrogant but full of innocence. He is a man of contrasts and at the same time has a fantastic intellect,” the director says.
However, he adds that he has taken the star quotient out of Sushant. “This film does not have a love story or typical action scenes. We have removed Sushant’s star power, his dancing and romance. He had to begin from scratch. For this role, we wanted someone who has an understated and nuanced style of acting, not in your face, Bollywood style of acting. Sushant has that vulnerability, intelligence and arrogance,” elaborates Dibakar.
Yash Raj Films presents Dibakar Banerjee’s Detective Byomkesh Bakshy!, releasing worldwide on 3rd April 2015.
