Bengali superstar Jisshu Sengupta has certainly made his space in Bollywood as well. Being referred to as the 'lucky charm' of leading ladies in Bollywood, the actor aces every role that he plays. 22 years into the film industry, Jisshu has become more active in Hindi films in recent years with films like Barfi, Mardaani, Piku, Mardaani 2, Shakuntala Devi and Sadak 2 to his credit. 

Now, gearing up for his next big release - Durgamati, the actor is confident that the 'one of a kind film will be loved by the audience'. Directed by Ashok G and presented by Akshay Kumar and Bhushan Kumar, Durgamati is the official Hindi adaptation of Anushka Shetty's Telugu superhit Bhaagamathie. The film stars Bhumi Pednekar in the lead role. Ask him about his future collab with Khiladi Kumar and he says 'I’d love to do that'.

Excerpts from the interview:  

Durgamati sheds light on conspiracy, mystery and crime. What prompted you to be a part of it? 

It’s the producers, the major reason. The second reason is the character, I haven’t played it in Hindi films. There’s a part of revenge in my character and so these are the two reasons for which I’m a part of this film.

What was your approach like to play the role of police officer Abhay Singh? 

I’m a very spontaneous actor. As an actor, I completely trust my director. I’ve my own way to play my character. In this film also, Ashok G (director) said ‘yes, whatever you’ve thought just do your way’. So he gave me that liberty and it was great working with him. 

How was it working with young talent like Bhumi Pednekar and Karan Kapadia? Anything you learned?

Every actor is different. Everyone comes and puts their own creative self on the table. To be very honest, I learn every single day. Bhumi (Pednekar) herself is a brilliant actress, Karan (Kapadia) is a great guy and a good actor. Yes, probably I’m more experienced because I’ve been in this industry for the past 22 years and worked with half of this industry and in Bengal, I’ve worked with everyone. So the extra advantage for me is the experience but in any kind of art form, you learn every day. The day you feel you’ve learned it all, you’re finished. So, I learned from them, from Bhumi and Karan, the way they approach and see a scene, I did learn from them. 

In India, the political-horror genre is usually not received well.  Will Durgamati change that aspect?

In any genre, there are films that have been accepted or rejected. Not only in horror or comedy but Durgamati has got a lot of ingredients in it. It’s one of a kind and people will love it. 

Durgamati was supposed to release in theatres. Was it disappointing to have a web release?

It has pros and cons. It is great to be releasing on OTT because if it releases in theatres, the film wouldn’t have released in 200 countries in one go. It’s great because when you make a film, you want a lot of people to watch the film. Individually, if you ask me, as an actor I’d want my film to release in theatres and for people to watch it on the big screen, on a larger-than-life scale. Those are the cons of releasing a film on OTT. 

You are considered the lucky charm of leading ladies in Bollywood. 

Of course, I feel lucky to be called lucky (laughs). At one point in my career, I was being called unlucky. Now people are calling me lucky. It doesn’t matter to me, what matters to me is that people should love and accept me and the kind of role I’m playing on screen. 

What do you feel about the censorship on web? 

The country we live in, there’s a certain way the society works. So if they feel that there should be censorship on web, then there should be. I don’t see a problem in it. 

Akshay Kumar is presenting Durgamati, any collaboration with him in store? 

I’d love to do that. I admire that man, the way he is. The way he is leading his life. The way he started his career and where he is standing today, it’s inspirational. I hope that someday it comes true. 

What are your expectations from the film? 

Every actor wants their film to be a super-duper bumper hit. I want my films to be watched and to be up there. I want this film to break the records and be up there. 

How did you deal with the news of Soumitra Chaterjee passing away. You are playing his role in his biopic...

It is the end of an era. He is the father figure of our industry. I’m lucky enough to have worked with him in several films. We just finished the biopic on him and I played Soumitra Chatterjee in that film and even he was there in the film. It’s a great loss for the Indian film industry. It is a personal loss for me. He has seen me grow. The best part was that I was supposed to play a different role in his biopic and he called me and said that if anyone has to play me, it has to be you and I was fortunate to play him. My heart is heavy as I speak to you.