Bengali actor Jeet gained popularity in the Hindi belt with his web series Khakee: The Bengal Chapter last year. His recent release Keu Bole Biplobi Keu Bole Dakat, based on freedom fighter Ananta Singh’s life, arrived on Independence Day in West Bengal. Even after having seen success in Hindi and the concept of his film being pan-Indian, the actor-producer chose to not release the film across India, and he explains why.
“The necessity of the story is to have more of a local connection, so if it performs well here, than we might think about a wider release. Also, the data of the last few years say that all the films which were released as pan-India, haven't performed that well. The South films aren't able to penetrate the North. The impact of those films isn't as wide, So, the concept of pan-India films is dissolving somewhere," he says.
Getting to play Ananta Singh was an exciting opportunity for Jeet who got to play nine avatars of him through his life on screen. Before Jeet, Ananta was played on screen twice in Hindi film – Maninder Singh in Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey (2010) and Jaideep Ahlawat in Chittagong (2012). But Jeet didn’t get influenced by them, “Wo kirdaar the par kahani kisi aur ki thi. The material we had, we could have made it in two parts. So, we wanted a fresh slate for it. I have seen those films, but haven’t used them as inspiration,” he insists.
Recently, as the student protests in India brought about a change, he felt the relatability of the revolution during the fight for freedom in the 1900s and today. "Ananta's revolution is relevant even today and every generation can relate to it kyunki revolution kabhi khatam nahin hota hai. Ab hum apne Ghar mein ladai Kar rahe hain, pehle baahar walon ke gulam the. Ab naam ke liye gulaam nahin hain, par kahin na kahin aaj ek alag ladayi hai. Wo itihaas hai, hamari buniyaad hai. Agar wo na hota to aaj hum yahaan na hote," he says, sharing his advice for the youth. “Bada kuch haasil karne ke liye hamesha kathin raasta lena padta hai, kabhi sahej raaste se bada kuch nahin hota.”
{{/usCountry}}Recently, as the student protests in India brought about a change, he felt the relatability of the revolution during the fight for freedom in the 1900s and today. "Ananta's revolution is relevant even today and every generation can relate to it kyunki revolution kabhi khatam nahin hota hai. Ab hum apne Ghar mein ladai Kar rahe hain, pehle baahar walon ke gulam the. Ab naam ke liye gulaam nahin hain, par kahin na kahin aaj ek alag ladayi hai. Wo itihaas hai, hamari buniyaad hai. Agar wo na hota to aaj hum yahaan na hote," he says, sharing his advice for the youth. “Bada kuch haasil karne ke liye hamesha kathin raasta lena padta hai, kabhi sahej raaste se bada kuch nahin hota.”
{{/usCountry}}While Khakee brought him a lot of love, he hasn’t announced any new Hindi project yet. Ask him why and he says, “I am grateful for all the appreciation it got from everywhere but I believe in destiny and what comes to me is written. I never even chased Khakee, it just got made into a Bengal chapter and it came to me. So whatever is written for me in future, will reach me.”