EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW! Ritwik Bhowmik On Advice He Got From Naseeruddin Shah, Maja Ma And Bandish Bandits

Q. Did the overnight success of Bandish Bandits change you as an actor?

A. I came back to Mumbai from Bengaluru at the age of 18. I was completing my studies there. And from the age of 21, I started searching for work professionally as an actor. I got Bandish Bandits, when I was 26 years old. So those were the 5 years when I didn't have much work. Even after the release of Bandish Bandits, I used to remember those 5 years, that "Ek waqt wo tha, ek waqt ye hai". My only thought was that I have come to work, this is my job. Some will work, some will not work. Not all projects will be good. But I was lucky that all the projects I did, worked. I have received a lot of love and viewership from people. There has never been a plan as to what to do next. I am just trying to do good work. I will not say yes to any project unless I feel that the script is really good.

Q. After all the love that your character received in Bandish Bandits, was there a fear of being stereotyped?

A. Yes, I was worried about being stereotyped because after Bandish Bandits, I received a lot of calls offering the same type of role of a simple boy from Rajasthan. That's why I intentionally chose scripts which could take me in a different direction from Radhe (his character's name in Bandish Bandits). In the meantime, I got Sony Liv's web series The Whistleblower, then followed by Modern Love, and now there is Maja Ma. So I was lucky that all these characters were completely different from each other and people liked me in every role. Yes, the fear of being stereotyped is always there. But if we are careful with our choices then we will not get stuck anywhere.

Q. I read that more than 150 people had auditioned with you for Bandish Bandits. Is it true?

A. (Laughs) Let me tell you, 191 girls and around 175-180 boys auditioned for the series. I still don't know how I got that role and I don't even want to ask this to anyone. I just got it and I am happy.

Q. Are you competitive?

A. Yes, generally I am very competitive, but as soon as I start acting, I understand that acting has nothing to do with competition. Give a good shot and you will feel a sense of satisfaction. I think there could not be any competition in the field of acting. If you will compare the career graph of people, then there can be competition, but when you are performing, you can never compare whether I did better than the opposite actor or any other actor or not. You can never measure this thing.

Q. In what head space are you, after release of 'Maja Ma'?

A. For the first 2- 3 days, I enjoyed a lot as the film is getting positive response, everyone is talking about it. But once Naseer Sir (Naseeruddin Shah) had given me the advice that "do not take any of the criticism to your heart and don't take any of the praises too seriously", and that is what I have kept in my mind till now. That's why I was happy for some days after the release, but now I understand that the film has gone out of our hands and belongs to the world, now the film itself will decide it's journey. I have moved on and am preparing for my next project. Now, I am just thinking about the upcoming character and how to give my best to it.

Q. You have shared a good screen time with Madhuri Dixit. How was the experience of working with her and what did you learn?

A. I learned a lot from her. Be it Madhuri ma'am, Naseer sir or Gajraj Rao, I realised that these people never come on the sets with their glory of 25-30 years of experience. They forget that they are stars. They come on sets as a character. If I will keep working for the next 20-30 years, I want to have the same love, the same passion and the same concentration for work, like Naseer sir or Madhuri ma'am have. This was the biggest lesson I learned. And I feel extremely lucky to get such a character. It was an opportunity for me because in Maja Ma the graph of my character is so unique, which is not usually given to the heroes. And not only did I get a unique character, but I also got a director (Anand Tiwari) who understands the actors very well.

Q. Anand Tiwari has given you a lot of opportunity to grow as an actor in both Bandish Bandits and Maja Ma. How was your experience working with him?

A. It is kind of easy for me to work with Anand sir because I know that I am going to work with such a capable director that no matter how I perform, he will handle me and he will guide me in the right way. He knows how to get best performances from an actor. But at the same time, there is also a fear that this person loves his work so much, if I do not give love to that project at the same level, then maybe I will be left behind. Anand Tiwari loves his films like his baby. So before going on the sets, I always have this fear that if I don't give my 100% then maybe I will get disappointed with myself.

Q. Did your thoughts change about LGBTQ community after doing Maja Ma?

A. To be honest, it may be because of my family or the school or because of the people around me, that I have always had a knowledge, understanding and acceptance of the LGBTQ community.

Q. Going back a bit, did you always wanted to become an actor? Do you have any idol in the industry?

A. (Smiling) I wanted to be an actor since childhood. Ever since I started watching movies, I wanted to be the person who is inside the TV. And I must tell that my family supported me a lot, rather they made my dream as their dream. And talking about Idol, he is one and only Mr Shah Rukh Khan. There was no other actor in the 90s who had more influence than him. There were many other great actors, but for me it was Shah Rukh Khan who engraved the thought of becoming an actor in my mind.

Q. Would you like to tell us something about your upcoming projects?

A. There are some great projects coming up. Most are going to come on OTT only. Also a project that the whole world is waiting for, Bandish Bandits 2. Hopefully that too will come very soon.