Subhrajit Dutta has been mesmerizing audiences with his amazing acting skills for many years. The actor will be seen in Platform8’s original series Arshi. The Kolkata Mail correspondent caught up with the actor in an exclusive conversation about his character. Excerpts..

Can you tell us something about the character that you play in Arshi?

Subhrajit Dutta- I play Ajishnu. He had love in his life once but he had changed with time. By looking at this man, one can say that he has changed. He has become an alcoholic and this is disliked by his wife.

He had a love marriage. However, distance had crept into their relationship with the passing of time. This growing apart from one another and his alcoholic habit make his wife take a decision. That causes much disturbance in his life. What happens next?

How was your experience of playing an alcoholic?

Subhrajit Dutta- Due to my looks, I have always got good characters or innocent characters. This is the first time that a director thought that I would fit in the role of an alcoholic. The look is different from what the audience has seen me earlier. It was challenging and at the same time very interesting.

What made you agree to this project?

Subhrajit Dutta- The director is a long-time friend of mine. He had said earlier that whenever he will work on the OTT platform, he will work with his friends. And I was amazed to see that he had kept his promise after so many years. So I immediately agreed to do this project when he asked me to. I did not even read the script. Shibangshu was happy with my work. Now I hope that the audiences are as happy as he is.

How did you prepare to play an alcoholic?

Subhrajit Dutta- It is important for any actor to be observant. That helps a lot in portraying a character. I live in the Baghbazar area and I could see the mannerisms of alcoholics in my area. So I noticed them and understood how they reacted under the influence of alcohol. That helped a lot in portraying the character.

One of my close friends died from consuming too much alcohol. That was a painful experience for me. I have seen him from close quarters. I could understand his pains. These kinds of life experiences enrich us as actors and help us to portray different kinds of roles on screen.

What is your message for the audience?

Subhrajit Dutta- I have attempted to portray a role that I have never done before. I have done my best and I hope that they like it. Fingers crossed!!