One of the finest gems of Bollywood is actor Abhijit Lahiri, we have seen some amazing roles played by the actor and touched our hearts. The actor was seen in projects like Talwar, Munna Bhai MBBS, Gangajal ,Bell Bottom, The Big Bull and few others. He is working in television serials including ‘Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai’, Balika Vadhu, & Swaragini like TV shows and popularly known as Dadaji.
He is the 1st Bengali graduated from the National School of Drama in 1980 and he has theatrical experience of more than 25 years in Bengali and Hindi. He has been honored with ‘ A Made in India Swadeshi Runway’ 4th season, concept by Sonia Mayers with ‘Hon Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Bharat Award 2021’ in Andheri-Mumbai. He is the founder of Abhijit Lahiri School of Acting.
The Editor in Chief of News Mania Ms. Bornali Biswas and team covered him for some Chitchat from his busy schedule on his workshop in Kolkata recently.
NM: When and what made you get into National School of Drama?
Abhijit Lahiri: I did my two years of diploma on acting from institution of Anjan Theatre and art in Hedua, Kolkata. During the diploma I got to know that Indian government is giving scholarship to 50 artists in 10 different categories all over the India every year. After giving the exam for the same, Two candidate was selected for the same. Rama Prasad Banik and Abhijit Lahiri(me). Rama Prasad Banik ‘s name was attached with Sambhu Mitra, and he could not leave Kolkata, thus I went to NSD from Bengal.
News Mania : Please Share your best memorable moment?
Abhijit Lahiri:Every moment is a memorable moment. It will be difficult to choose one. As there is happiness in every different point, like when I got national scholarship, then I went into NSD, my graduation moment, then when I return to Kolkata and launched my personal professional theater and all these are among my memorable moments. Jattra was a memorable moment when I got the best actor award it. Recently, I did a film named Banda with Manoj Bajpai. I played the character of Ram Jeth Malani, that role was memorable because to play such character was not a matter of joke as it was challenging.
News Mania : Everyone knows you as a renowned Daddaji, please tell something about such characters in Television ?
Abhijit Lahiri: When I got to play on television, I lived the character of the Daddaji for 4.5 years. The character of Tauji is also special where I played a negative role who used to torture the child in Balika Vadhu, audience used to hate me for that but on the other hand same child in YRKKH turned to be my grandchild (Naksh) with whom I shared a great bond.
Thus twist in character gives a challenge to act and grab audience reaction which is the actual achievement of actors.
News Mania : How did you manage the Struggle to Success?
Abhijit Lahiri: Yes I am fortunate though I don’t consider it as a big thing because during that time I was alone and I had to face lots of struggle. There were only two kinds of theaters one was commercials and others were Group Theater. During 80s in every commercial theater the Kebare dance program was famous, and in Group Theater I was asked to pay which was not feasible for me as I wanted to work as a professional.
After lots of struggle finally in the year 1983 I opened my own theater (Saiz) and the first play was Khola Mukuji a Bengali Play with Sudesna Ray. The play ran for 4 months with 16 shows every Friday. In every show we faced loss but eventually the last three shows were housefull though by that time I had huge loss and to manage that I had to return back to Jatra.
News Mania :As digital world is very active these days ,even many plays and theater that are on digital now, so do you have any plan for digital world?
Abhijit Lahiri: No, digitally I don’t find any fun because in the theater we directly connect with the audience. There is different fun while experiencing in the theater as we live the character from beginning to end when you perform. Digitally you won’t experience it and I personally don’t enjoy this concept.
News Mania : What similarity and difference you found after working in both television and movie?
Abhijit Lahiri: Television is like a newspaper if there is no story, tomorrow people will forget about it. But the film is a noble project. Once it gets printed and released you will find it after 100 years too. Television has not yet expanded as compared to film. Though I have worked for both the media but enjoyed more with movie scripts.
News Mania : Your first film Satyamev Jayate was not released, but if you could share the experience of working in it as the first project?
Abhijit Lahiri: I played the negative character of a doctor in the movie and Shakti Kapoor acted as a lawyer. The director Hansal Mehta was also new who was always onto experiment on set. Maximum members of this movie were either from NSD or from theater background so the bonding among us was very good.
I worked again with Hansal Mehta in a film named ‘CCHAL’, there too the character was negative and challenging.
Also during YRKKH, my character of Alziemer was very challenging. There was one scene where akshara’s parents were present along with my family. In that particular scene I was talking with my wife and suddenly I could not recognize akshara’s parents due to my memory loss? The Director was very much convinced with this particular scene which was not easy to portray.
News Mania : What closing note you will like to give to the young and upcoming generation who are interested in acting?
Abhijit Lahiri: First the learning is very important. Second to keep patience as in acting there is very much to learn about acting. Acting is not alone in this field, you have to learn many things including medical science, philosophy, psychology, history and geography. To design a set you have to learn, ‘how to use a hammer. You have to learn painting, you have to learn stitching for costumes,you have to be down toward, practical and crazy for each and every projects. These days younger generation thinks that everything can be produced in jet speed without hardship and dedictaion. The generation has changed and we can see how time has flown away from the struggle, patience and actual means of acting and arts and talent.
News Mania : What are your upcoming projects?
Abhijit Lahiri: My upcoming web series is on mobile gas tragedy, and film is ‘Banda and Capsule Gill’. As of now I am working for many serials and web series which are not yet finalized and I cannot speak much on them now. Besides that I have my online classes of Abhijit Lahiri schools of Acting that will start from March and my ongoing workshops on acting are going on various cities.
Thank you for such a wonderful and pleasant interview and we wish you a very happy and successful future along numerous accolades.
News Mania Desk
