EXCLUSIVE: Saswata Chatterjee on the sets of ‘Kalki 2898 AD’

Telugu

By Swaroop Kodur

Jun 27, 2024

Saswata, 53, has been a prolific actor for close to three decades now and has worked predominantly in Bengali Cinema, aside from carving out a nice little space in Bollywood.

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Another clincher for Saswata Chatterjee is the character, this intriguing guy named Commander Manas, that he plays in Nag Ashwin’s magnum opus.

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Ask Saswata Chatterjee about his most memorable moment on the sets of Kalki 2898 AD and pat comes the answer— “It was the day I met Mr Kamal Haasan for the first time.”

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He shared, “I shot with him for not more than a day but I remember I was too nervous seeing the legend before me. But what a man he is! So soft-spoken and just soaking up everything.”

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“Commander Manas works under Supreme Yaskin, played by Kamal sir in the film, and he is willing to do anything for this man. It is a negative character, in a way,” shares Saswat.

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“Telugu was like Hebrew to me! So, my lines were written in English and I would spend a lot of time with one of the assistants named Akhil, who was my teacher on the sets.”

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“The first time we spoke, he (Nag Ashwin) just said to me that I was in good hands. He doesn’t shout at actors either but whispers instructions in your ear.”

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But, on a serious note, it feels good when a whole unit shows faith in you,” Saswata Chatterjee says before signing off.

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