'Never knew the depth of his life': Bengali actor Jeet on playing revolutionary Ananta Singh in his biopic

Jeet as Ananta Singh in ‘Keu Bole Biplobi Keu Bole Dakat’

Bengali superstar Jeet was familiar with revolutionary Ananta Singh, but working on Keu Bole Biplobi Keu Bole Dakat made him discover "his journey - highs and lows, struggles, convictions, and the sacrifices" of the freedom fighter. In the Pathikrit Basu-directed biopic, set in 1960s Kolkata, Jeet portrays nine phases of Singh's life.

"It's a journey that keeps unfolding. I never knew the depth of his life until this story came to me. He's not a one-dimensional character; every phase of his life adds a new perspective. As an actor, opportunities to portray someone with so many shades are rare," he tells mid-day.

Jeet

Singh began as a freedom fighter, but disillusioned with time, turned to robbing the powerful to fight corruption. To navigate the film's timelines, Jeet read Singh's book, Keu Bole Biplobi, Keu Bole Dakat. "So, I read his book, which gave me many valuable insights and nuances about his personality. While I enjoyed the process, the only challenging part was the extensive prosthetics, which took nearly two to three hours to apply," he shares.

Who is Ananta Singh?

Ananta Singh was an Indian revolutionary from Bengal who led the 1930 Chittagong Armoury Raid against British rule, and later became a controversial figure for leading armed bank robberies in post-independence India

Jeet on recent student protests

"The youth are the future of our country. If they stand for what is right with conviction and integrity, it's our responsibility to support them, encourage them, and stand by them"

Did you know?

In 2012, Jaideep Ahlawat played Ananta Singh in the film, ‘Chittagong'