Prosenjit Chatterjee on working with Rituparna Sengupta in 50 films: ‘This pair has become legendary’

In the 1990s, Prosenjit Chatterjee and Rituparna Sengupta were Bengal’s favourite pair on screen. Earlier this month, the two stalwarts of Bengali cinema came out with their 50th film together— Ajogyo.

Sixty-one-year-old Chatterjee has been working in the industry since 1983. For him, acting alongside Sengupta means having a certain kind of confidence about the film because the audience loves to see the two of them together. “I am in the 40th year of my career and she is in her 30th, and yet people love watching us together,” says Chatterjee adding, “In Bengal, this pair has become legendary.”

Also Read: Prosenjit Chatterjee: It's not that Bollywood doesn't give us work, we are not looking for it

Chatterjee and the 53-year-old Sengupta have delivered a large number of hits over the years. Their most iconic films include Sasurbari Zindabad (2000), Utsab (2000), Jamaibabu Zindabad (2001) and Praktan (2016).

Recounting the experience of working with Sengupta all these years, Chatterjee says his co-actor was only a “child” when the duo started working on Nagpanchami (1994). He says he is very proud of the fact that even children of this generation watch the old commercial films he and Sengupta had worked on. “Nowadays, the views on YouTube for songs from our older films are remarkably high. Even today, the younger generation listens to our songs, and I take great pride in that,” Sen says.

Talking about the importance of having a good co-actor, Chatterjee, whose performance as Mr Roy in the web series Jubilee (2023) earned acclaim, says one person cannot make a film work.

He adds: “I have seen some co-actors who leave the floor once their shot is over. But I like to stay on the sets, give my cues, rehearse my scene. Co-actors are very important to make a shot believable. Every aspect of a film performed by units. That is the magic of cinema. Just one person cannot do.”