Luck by chance
Bengali actor Priam is delighted to have got an opportunity to work in a Malayalam film with Mammootty a
Pramod Payyanur’s 'Balyakalasakhi' has garnered a lot of attention for his peculiar casting. Especially so for zeroing in on Bengali actor Priam. “Believe me, I actually dreamt of doing a Malayalam film. So I can say, the opportunity to work in 'Balyakalasakhi' is my dream come true. My stint in acting started in 2013 with serials. Then I did a couple of movies in Bengali. During that time, I came to know about this movie through the executive producer Venu Kolkata. I met the crew and discussed the character and here I am in the movie,” says the happy go lucky Priam.
Incidentally, the character played by Priam in the movie was supposed to be done by 'Kahaani' fame Parambrata Chatterjee. When Parambrata opted out due to his busy schedule Priam was only too happy to step in. “My character, the young Bengali freedom fighter Prafula Chandra Chatterjee, is a close friend of Majeed, the character played by Mammootty. Honestly, I was excited to know that my character is based on a novel. I knew then that the character would be a powerful one.”
Reminiscing about his shooting experience, he says, “We Bengalis know a little bit about Mammootty and his movies. Mammootty is an amazing actor and a great personality. During the shooting, I had difficulty in communicating with the crew. But Mammooty made me comfortable and helped me develop my character. Since this is my first film, I asked the director to give me one dialogue in Malayalam, it was a short sentence 'Ningalude Kadha'.”
To be an actor was Priam’s childhood passion and his biggest inspiration is Shahrukh Khan. “Both Shahrukh and I have some similarities in our lives. He started his acting career with TV serials, so did I. His acting has inspired me in many ways and if I get a chance to work with him that would be one of my greatest moments.”
Ask if he would like to do more movies in Malayalam, he says, “Of course, I would love to do more Malayalam films. I will be visiting Kerala soon for the promotional activities of the movie and I would like to meet the talented actors here!”