Namashi Chakraborty will soon make his Bollywood debut in Rajkumar Santoshi's "Bad Boy", and people have already started talking about his resemblance with his father, eighties superstar Mithun Chakraborty. "I am ready for comparisons. Comparison is a way of honour. People will be comparing me with someone who has been in the industry for so many decades. He is a legendary actor," Namashi told IANS. Of course, he knows that there are minuses too.
"If people compare me to his talent and career graph, then that can be a problem. Then you are looking for another version of Mithun Chakraborty, which is not possible. He is a different actor from a different era," said the youngster.
While growing up, he did stand in front of a mirror, trying to act like his father. "I have seen all his films. I have always loved watching my dad on the big screen. He is my favourite actor, so I copy him a lot but more than copying, his mannerisms and body language come in me because he is my dad. I think more than copying him, it's the DNA," said Namashi.
He is the latest star kid to enter Bollywood. Asked if he has learnt from others' mistakes, he said: "Actors are made out of instincts. Every actor has his or her own instinct. Failure is not the actor's or director's fault. Maybe the timing of the film or the characters didn't click. I don't think there are good or bad actors. There are actors who get accepted and actors who don't. I feel you should follow your gut, your instinct and give your best."
He is proud of his debut film as he got it on his own without his father's help. "The co-producer of the film, Wacky Khan took me to the producer's office," he recalled. Later, veteran director Santoshi took interest and soon Namashi was on board. "It was surreal. Before this, wherever I had tried, nothing had gone smoothly. But with 'Bad Boy', it was like I was at the right time, right place. I was so lucky to get the film. At that point, I was waiting to get a film on my own and I did," he said. He feels that the team has made a good film.
"'Bad Boy' is a romantic comedy. It's a fun and youthful film. It's a typical Rajkumar Santoshi rom-com," he shared. Talking about Santoshi, he said: "He is an actor's director. It took me a day or two to understand the dynamics of his style of directing. But once I did, I had a blast. He is a complete perfectionist. When we used to get stuck in sequences, he used to enact them for us. He is not only a brilliant director but also an actor."
Superstar Salman Khan recently unveiled the poster of "Bad Boy". Is he or Mithun playing a cameo in the film? "I don't think so. We have almost completed the film. There's no talk of any cameo," said Namashi. The situation is pretty grim right now owing to the coronavirus pandemic. His film has been affected by it too.
"Because of pandemic everything has come to a standstill. But these are tense times, we hope people are safe. We want the film to come out when everyone is in a better place," he said.
Till then, he is enjoying spending the lockdown days with his family. "I am glad that I am spending a lot of time with my family. It's a relaxing time but I hope things go back to normal because I miss working," said the newcomer.
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