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‘Vinci Da’: Here’s why you should add this thriller to your weekend watchlist

Be it creating razzmatazz around a film release or taking the promotions to a crescendo, no one can beat Srijit Mukherji these days. A pro in the game of film marketing, the brouhaha around his upcoming thriller ‘Vinci Da’ has reached its zenith and ahead of the release on Friday, April 12, in a candid chat with ETimes the cast of ‘Vinci Da’ explains what to expect from the film and why it’s a must watch.

After I made Baishe Srabon, there were many offers to make ‘Teishe’, ‘Chchobish’ and so on, just like after Chotushkone there was a demand for pentagon, hexagon. But we Bengalis love to visit different places every year for the vacations, so I decided to go for a thriller this time. Bengali cinema suffer has a typical complex considering the lack of infrastructure, resources, but what we have is a huge treasure of human capital. People heap praise on Baahubali, and rightly so, but tell me is Nagarkirtan any less of an achievement? The thing is we can also make great cinematic content amid limitations. We can write our way to greatness with what little we have – and Vinci Da, for me, is a tribute to that particular spirit as embodied by Somnath (the popular makeup artist), who triggered this idea with the work he has done in recent times.

I believe the one word sums up this film is ‘vengeance’, with Srijitda’s special ingredients. Here it starts with something as innocuous as a makeup artist narrating his story before you confront this ‘sicko’ gate-crashing into the narrative, which infuses the story with the type of mindless violence we witness around us. I am a conventional cop here. But the way Srijit develops the character is what makes it stand out. No one can introduce the ‘swag’ better than him when you speak about defining a character.

My character Adi loves to see himself as a ‘serial lawyer’, which will instantly give you an idea that he is not all there. He ingeniously utilizes the law while selecting victims. It’s the law which often dictates his actions. Truly speaking, you won’t find any ready-made model for such a character, which allowed me plenty of freedom to improvise. I don’t why directors offer me for such ‘abnormal’ roles (laughs). Srijit did that in Nirbaak as well. But he never repeats himself, even when making a thriller, this is completely different from Baishe Shrabon and Chotushkone.

Being an artist when write something about another artist it moves me. It’s true the audience doesn’t know the pain, suffering of a makeup artist. Now penning this emotion connects me with the thriller elements. I have seen Somnath Kundu for long and two years ago he was doing some prosthetic makeup on me. That’s when the idea came. I decided to write something on a makeup artist. And when its thriller nobody else can master the genre than Srijit Mukherji.

Actors who portray stammering characters are often criticized, like this is too much or it’s not right. Basically, stammering has no such grammar. I have seen different people who stammer in completely different notes. Some stammer when they are too excited, some even stammer in way that you won’t be able to understand anything. Srijitda helped me a lot during the preparation. Also, I used to watch many videos of people who stammer. I just kept in mind it won’t be a caricature. I hope the audience will relate to my character.

Since you all have heard my role is the film’s ‘surprise package’, so I can’t give away how significant I am in the story and in what capacity, but irrespective of the length of the character, I feel every actor should do at least one such scene in his lifetime. I also salute Srijit Mukherji for creating such an intense and engaging character and many thanks for giving me the opportunity.