"Ritabhari had to put on weight for 'Fatafati,' but for 'Sohag Chand,' I didn’t have to," says Anwesa Ray Mukhopadhyay - Exclusive!

It is said that popular culture serves as a mirror to contemporary society. What goes around on the streets, comes around as content on the screen. It holds true to a large extent for television shows too. Television shows, which mainly cater to provide some entertainment amidst the day-to-day lives of the viewers, often take inspiration from the daily lives of the commoners and make content out of it.‘Sohag Chand’ is no different. The popular Bengali TV show narrates the story of a plus-size woman and a leaner man. The said Bengali daily recently completed 500 episodes and ETimes caught up with its lead cast Anwesa Ray Mukhopadhyay and Abhishek Veer Sharma to find out the recipe of ‘Sohag Chand’s glorious run so far.

Q: ‘Sohag Chand’ deals with body image issues as the main theme of the show. Body image issues, as well as colorism, are still very prevalent in our modern society. How do you think ‘Sohag Chand’ has been able to make an impact?
Anwesa Ray Mukhopadhyay (Sohag): In terms of the message we want to convey through our show, I don’t think we have reached that point of success yet. I don’t think it is a singular problem in our society, it rather is a collective thought. I’m happy that we have taken a step towards finding the solution as part of a show that deals with the issue and that matters the most. I believe in bringing the resolution to the table. In ‘Sohag Chand’, the story follows a plus-size girl’s journey of overcoming her obstacles. It doesn’t dwell on her shortcomings. That’s the heartbeat of the show. I do not want to make any derogatory comments about other Bengali serials.. but they tend to overdramatize their stories and characters. But as an audience, if I keep seeing the heroines of the show of a particular shape and size, people I cannot relate to – then there’s no point.

Q: But that’s been the norm of the entertainment industry for long….
Anwesa: Yes! The television and fashion industry has always been inclined toward stereotypical representation. If you cannot fit the bill, you’re ousted. From that point, look at ‘Sohag Chand’.. there were so many serials that started with a similar theme, with us. They had big banners and big names. They don’t exist anymore. We’re still thriving because we have portrayed a plus-size girl in a plus-size story. The producers could have taken any known face as their lead cast. Could have fed her till she gained the goal weight. The way Ritabhari was prepped for ‘Fatafati’. She had to gain weight for her role in that movie. That’s driven by the artist’s popularity or her bankability. But with ‘Sohag Chand’, the makers took a great risk by casting a complete outsider like me just to make sure that the actress fits the role.

Q: Sohag and Anwesa have had their journey with the show. What’s Chand’s story?
Abhishek Veer Sharma (Chand): Oh my story has had a whole other set of ups and downs. Bengali is not my mother tongue. Back when I came here to start as an actor, I wasn’t fluent in the language. And to do justice to a character, you’ve got to stay in the character that essentially demands you to relate to that character on multiple levels. I remember when I cooked at home, I had a script in my hand because I needed to learn the nooks of the language first. I struggled with the dialogue the most.

Q: But you left work in Mumbai and came to Kolkata for work! Why?
Abhishek: Destiny, as they say! I worked in a Hindi web series and the producers, the director loved my work. I was approached for some other work. Everything was set. I was supposed to leave for Lucknow and the lockdown started. I had to come back because I ran out of money. Back in Kolkata, I was looking for work and then I got a call for a mega. I still remember my intro video and the way I spoke Bengali there.
Q: How did you end up being cast in a Bengali daily then?
Abhishek: The production house liked me. And I did not give up on trying to learn the language. It took me 15 minutes of meditation and I sailed through. My director came to me during the shoot of the last episode of my first Bengali mega, and he patted on my back appreciating my work. That was my gold medal!

Q: How do you rate yourself now that you’re the lead cast of a Bengali daily? Do you still fumble while delivering the dialogues or can you write a full-length essay in Bengali?
Abhishek: I keep telling myself and the writer of the show that someday I want to have a full-page dialogue like Kartik Aaryan has in ‘Pyaar Ka Punchnama’. Then only I’ll understand, how far I’ve come.