"Why Will I Be Bothered?": Saswata Chatterjee On Abhishek Bachchan Replacing Him As Bob Biswas

"If I was upset, I would have come out and given so many statements," said Saswata Chatterjee

Actor Saswata Chatterjee, who is still known for his performance as mild-mannered assassin Bob Biswas in Sujoy Ghosh's 2012 film Kahaani, says he's not "bothered" about Abhishek Bachchan replacing him as the contract-killer in a standalone titled Bob Biswas. The renowned Bengali actor, in an interview with Hindustan Times, shared that he is not "upset" about Abhishek Bachchan replacing him in the film. He told the publication: "Why should I be disappointed? They are making it for the Hindi market; they will look for a bigger name. I did the film in 2012, why will I be bothered about it being made in 2021? I did several characters in between. If I was upset, I would have come out and given so many statements... I didn't bother." Saswata Chatterjee has not watched Bob Biswas yet.

The Diya Annapurna Ghosh-directed film, which released earlier this month, is a standalone spin-off on Bob Biswas, a serial killer originally introduced in her father Sujoy Ghosh's 2012 film that was headlined by Vidya Balan.

Talking to Hindustan Times, Saswata Chatterjee said he "thought Bob met with an accident and was dead" - which was Bob Biswas' fate in Kahaani. The actor also said that he is "proud" that his performance made the character so "iconic" that a star like Abhishek Bachchan agreed to portray the role. "I was proud of myself because I just did a role for 10 minutes. If a full-length feature film is happening with someone whose name is Abhishek Bachchan, then I'm indeed proud," he said.

Saswata Chatterjee, known for his work in films like Abar Shobor, Bhooter Bhobishyot and Goynar Baksho, also revealed that neither Abhishek Bachchan nor Sujoy Ghosh "reached out" to him before and during the filming of Bob Biswas. He told the publication: "When a character is played by two different people it should be played in two different ways. Say, James Bond. Every actor has played it differently and we should accept that. Bob has become a franchise like James Bond" and added that people should go to theatres to watch Bob Biswas "with an open mind."