Strangely, it took a Bollywood filmmaker to bring two of Bengal’s superstars, Prosenjit Chatterjee and Jeet, together on screen. The duo headlines creator Neeraj Pandey’s Khakee: The Bengal Chapter, which explores the underbelly of the state’s political landscape of the 2000s. “For years, Bengal has had stories that deserved to be told on a national platform. Khakee: The Bengal Chapter finally does that,” says Prosenjit, as we sit down for a chat in a five-star suite overlooking Kolkata’s iconic Victoria Memorial.
Helmed by Tushar Kanti Ray and Debatma Mandal, the Netflix series boasts an ensemble cast that includes Saswata Chatterjee, Chitrangda Singh, Parambrata Chatterjee and Ritwik Bhowmik. For Prosenjit, the series is a means to introduce the entire country to the Bengali film industry’s talent. “A show like this offers a massive opportunity not just for actors, but also for the entire industry. The storytelling is different, the characterisations are unique, yet everything is deeply rooted in Bengal. This is a huge exposure for our talent on a national stage. People often categorise projects as ‘mainstream’. I personally don’t believe in those rigid definitions, but if you consider this a mainstream venture, then yes, it was necessary for Bengal’s actors and storytellers to find national access,” states Prosenjit.
While the senior actor has fronted acclaimed Hindi OTT shows like Scoop (2023) and Jubilee (2023), this marks Jeet’s Hindi debut. What took him so long to cross over?
Jeet as IPS officer Arjun Maitra
I have always [maintained] that if there is good content, be it in any space or platform, if it gives me a kick, I’ll do it,” Jeet smiles. Bollywood actors often struggle to make the OTT leap, but Jeet harbours no such notion. To him, experimenting in different languages and platforms is a way to expand his horizons.
“I don’t want to think about success or failure. I don’t have any tension on a Friday. If you talk about success and failure in the larger context of life, our work is a small part of our life. Somebody sitting on crores of money can feel successful, while somebody sitting with their family can feel successful. Success does not mean wealth or what you do. For me, success is laughing with my family, spending a great time with them, without thinking much about the present, past or future.”
In Khakee: The Bengal Chapter, the second instalment after Khakee: The Bihar Chapter (2022), Prosenjit plays politician Sushendu Babu, who, he mentions, cannot be bracketed as black or white. “I find it thrilling to explore a character’s psyche. It depends on the story or the character how long they stay with you. This one stayed with me. Similarly, when I played Subhas Chandra Bose [in Gumnaami, 2019], it took six to eight months to emerge out of it. As an actor, you internalise so much of the person you’re playing,” he reflects. Jeet, who steps into the role of no-nonsense IPS officer Arjun Maitra, says it was different from his previous action roles. “This character’s complexity, his moral dilemmas and risks made it a treat for me,” he says.
The union of Prosenjit and Jeet is a highlight of the series. While Jeet had previously produced Aay Khuku Aay (2022), which starred Prosenjit, the two actors have never shared screen space before. While Jeet admits it will be “exciting for the audience to see us together for the first time”, the two actors want Khakee: The Bengal Chapter to set a precedent. “We hope this opens doors for more stories from Bengal to be told on this scale because there are stories in every nook and corner waiting to be tapped,” says Prosenjit. Or there will be a follow-up to this season, we suggest.
Dada can act, too!
A show set in Bengal is incomplete without a mention of its beloved Dada. Former Indian cricket captain Sourav Ganguly featured in a hilarious promo, which sees him hoping to play a Bengali cop in the series.
Depicting politics
The series spotlights the sensitive subject of Bengal’s political history. Some actors avoid political stories, but Prosenjit says he had no inhibitions, thanks to the creator’s nuanced approach. “We aren’t presenting crime and politics as black and white; we’re showcasing a layered narrative. That’s what makes Neeraj Pandey’s storytelling so powerful. The characters have an arc, there are back-stories to why they are the way they are,” says the actor.
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