Superstar Jeet, who plays the revolutionary Ananta Singh in Keu Bole Biplobi Keu Bole Dakat, opens up about taking on one of the most ambitious projects of his career, working with a stellar ensemble, executing period action sequences, and portraying nine different avatars in a single film.
For Jeet, taking on nine different shades in a single film felt more like a rare gift than a daunting task. “More than being a challenge, it was an opportunity to play nine shades to a character. Not many actors have this chance in their entire filmography: nine different roles in one film. As for challenges, they come with every single role. For me, I see it positively and am happy to have got this chance with such a role.”
Bringing nine distinct avatars to life on screen required meticulous effort behind the scenes. Jeet credits the make-up team for successfully translating the vision into reality. “More than me, it was a challenge for the make-up artist. We had given him material on the story and script. He designed those looks for us, and we got convinced after a few trials and errors and look tests. Accordingly, from the time the material came to me, I had been preparing for the roles in my mind. I was working mentally on it. I tried and worked it out, and once the film releases, you people have the opportunity to give me feedback. I hope all the roles land well.”
Aspirations are endless, and humans without aspirations do not make sense.
Among the various avatars, playing a disguise with a comic touch held a special place for him. “I got to know from my director that there has been no revolutionary with a comic background. So Ananta Singh was a revolutionary, businessman, produced movies; he also used to go in disguise as a director and perform different things—there is a situation where he was in the disguise of a director. I enjoyed playing it as he was comic in his presentation.”
Reflecting on the emotional depth of the character, Jeet highlights the real-life figure’s extraordinary journey. “The natural one where Ananta Singh’s own journey is shown is adventurous – it draws me towards it emotionally. He was a writer, produced movies, and gave a super hit too. So he had many facets to himself.”
When asked where he draws the line on whether Ananta Singh was a freedom fighter or a criminal, Jeet prefers to leave the verdict to the viewers. “I wish I could give you the answers to it. I want the people to judge the question of whether Ananta Singh was a revolutionary or a dacoit. I would rather enjoy people answering it.”
Jeet hopes the story leaves a lasting impact on cinema lovers. “I just hope the film connects with the audience. I hope it is remembered for the longest time. There has been a sincere effort by the entire team. We are not here to change anything. Let’s be a part of telling a new story with so many interesting characters.”
Sharing his overall experience, Jeet expresses how deeply engaged he was throughout the process. “I thoroughly enjoyed the entire process. The moment it came to me, I heard the narration from the director. He also talked about the material research. I found that the character had a long arc and a journey. It was so exciting, and the way the story was narrated was landing well with me. I enjoyed the shooting as much as I enjoyed the script. I hope it shapes up well and people love it.”
While the film features a large ensemble, Jeet highlights his collaboration with co-star Tota Roy Chowdhury. “I did not have a female co-star as such. There are many actors; it is a big ensemble. Besides Ananta, there is another strong character in the story played by Tota Roy Choudhury. This is the first time I worked with him. It was fun working with him. He’s a thorough professional. We have known each other for the longest time. We got to work for the first time, and it was great.”
Known for his action-packed roles, Jeet promises fresh and grounded action set-pieces choreographed by South action director Stunt Shiva. “We have interesting pieces. I have primarily been doing a lot of action movies for the longest time. Our action master came down from the South—Stunt Shiva. His maturity added a lot of value for the film. The action blends well with the period of the film. He was committed. I always enjoy my action pieces. There are quite a few action pieces that were new for me too. I don’t want to unfold nuances. There are 4–5 action pieces. I feel all are interesting, and I have 2 to 3 pieces which are my favourite. Action sequence needs bigger infrastructure, and we pulled it off here.”
Addressing rumours about potential Hindi projects after Khakhee, Jeet remains tight-lipped until official announcements are made. “I will talk about it when the time is right. Talks are always going on—when we lock it, we can be better off talking.”
Concluding on a reflective note, Jeet shares his outlook as an actor. “Aspirations are endless, and humans without aspirations do not make sense. As of now, I am happy that I have one film where I play nine different roles. As of today, I am looking forward to it.”
