I don’t act, I emulate emotions captured through my lens, says photojournalist-turned-actor Arunangsu Roy Chowdhury

Arunangsu Roy Chowdhury, thorough with the history of Bengal, is donning multiple hats for 'Maa Kaali,' a multilingual film starring Raima Sen in dual roles

Hyderabad: Some find their calling very early, some find  it quite late and some find multiple callings in a lifetime. Among those who find multiple callings in a lifetime, is popular photojournalist-turned actor Arunangsu Roy Chowdhury, who currently awaits the release of his next film titled ‘Maa Kaali’.

‘Maa Kaali’, a multilingual film starring Raima Sen in dual roles, is directed by Vijay Yelakanti and produced by TG Vishwa Prasad.  The upcoming film promises to deliver a narrative that digs deep into Bengal’s historical saga, shedding light on the challenges faced by its people.

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Arunangsu Roy Chowdhury, thorough with the history of Bengal, is donning multiple hats for ‘Maa Kaali’. While he will be seen on screen playing an antagonist, his role behind the scenes as a cultural consultant is equally significant for the film.

“Due to my Bengali roots, I was roped in as the cultural consultant for this project. My contribution toward the project became more weighty when the makers asked me to play a key role in the film,” said the former photojournalist.

Speaking about his growing up years, life behind the camera and now facing it, Arunangsu says that his experience of capturing various emotions through his lens in a career spanning about 30 years enables and equips him to play a wide array of roles in front of the camera.

“From being an activist, rallying behind Chipko movement leader and environmentalist Sunderlal Bahuguna to witnessing deadly cyclones in Andhra Pradesh, I have come across scores of people and witnessed a plethora of emotions,” he says.

“I never act,  I emulate the emotions I have observed and captured in the people I have met in my journey,” he adds.

On his tryst with the world of cinema, Roy said that his first meetings with the legendary filmmakers Satyajit Ray and Mrinal Sen as a student were some awe-inspiring moments for him.

Asked if he would ever get back to journalism, he says “I will always be one, journalism is in my heart. But acting is a passion.”

Talking about his future plans in the field of cinema, Roy said that he would love to explore scriptwriting, to bring out the stories which he could not during his days as a journalist.

Arunangsu Roy’s notable works as an actor include roles in Anurag Kashyap’s ‘Kennedy’, ‘Sherni’ which has Vidya Balan in the lead and a Bangla movie named ‘Mujib’.