‘Abhay’ is an exciting crime thriller that asks where the law’s reach ends, and vigilante action begins. We follow the titular investigator Abhay Pratap Singh, who can think like a criminal and is willing to go to any extent to solve cases. He has to look into the disappearance of two missing children, and Abhay races against the clock. Not only does he have to save them, but also battle his demons. The second season, ‘Abhay 2,’ picks up a year after this riveting case.
Bidita Bag plays Saloni in the new instalment, and Team Expresso has had the opportunity to sit down and talk with her. Here’s what Bidita has to say about ‘Abhay 2.’
Expresso: Abhay 2 has finally released; so how are you feeling about it?
Bidita Bag: I am very excited. As you know, Abhay season 1 was really popular; Abhay 2 has come back with ‘double dhamaka’ and more complex twists and turns. I am keeping my fingers crossed.
Expresso: What made you say yes to the script?
Bidita Bag: I believe that I am playing a one of a kind negative role that any heroine would be scared to do. There is an entire backstory to why the character is negative to this extent. I also got to experiment with my look. You can see me in two looks in the film. One is of a 36 years old prostitute who is dating a young guy, and the other is a young girl who has been forced into prostitution.
Expresso: How did you groom yourself for the character?
Bidita Bag: I didn’t have a reference, so to say. So I mainly used my imagination and also went through the script multiple times. Our director, Ken Ghosh, also helped me a lot.
Expresso: How similar is Bidita in real life to the character?
Bidita Bag: Well, there is absolutely no similarity! I have been brought up differently, and my journey has also not been similar. But yes, it’s still relatable to me because I am a girl, and as girls, we have all faced something wrong at some time in our lives. So while performing, I had to bring back all those bad memories to portray the character more realistically. Being a Calcutta girl, I was aware of the stories of sex workers in Harkata and Sonagachi. Recalling these stories and understanding their psyche helped me in understanding my character.
Expresso: How was your shooting experience, and what was your best memory of shoot?
Bidita Bag: We shot most of the film in perilous places like shut down factories, canals, etc. Every day of the shoot was exciting and memorable. The story involves killing people in different ways, and my character gets an orgasm each time she commits a murder. All these experiences were stimulating.
Expresso : From modelling to films to web series, how has your career been like?
Bidita Bag: I don’t look at the web genre as something different from films. I try to pick challenging roles for me, and I get to learn something different every time.
Expresso: Which genre is most challenging for you?
Bidita Bag: Comedy! I haven’t worked much in this genre, but I believe I have good comic timing, and I really want to do more.
Expresso: You have worked with great directors like Gautam Haldar, Shibaprasad, and Nandita in Bengali films. Who else would you like to work with?
Bidita Bag: I think Tony Da ( Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury), Srijit Mukherji, Suman Mukhopadhyay, Birsa Dasgupta all of them are doing outstanding work. I would love to work with them.
Expresso: You are a trained classical singer and painter. Have you ever thought of taking this ahead?
Bidita Bag: Well, you see, I really do not get the time to practice either of these. Acting is a very demanding profession, and the effort I put in it really drains me out. But yes, I would love to upload something that I occasionally sing or paint on social media.
Expresso: Did you always want to be an actor?
Bidita Bag: Not really! I was good in studies during my school days. But from class 10, I got really interested in acting and modelling.
Expresso: After Abhay 2, where can we see you next?
Bidita Bag: I don’t know when will some of my other works release because of the pandemic.
Expresso: What would you like to tell the audience about Abhay 2?
Bidita Bag: It is a crime genre series packed with a lot of thrill and bone-chilling excitement for the audience. Mostly, the series comprises of stories which are based on real incidents. Our audience watches many Hollywood thrillers, and it would be great if they could give some time to watching the Indian crime thriller series. Abhay 2 is very unlike the poor thriller content that we usually see in India. It is quite well researched and intelligently made. I hope everybody watches it and enjoys as much as we did, making it for all of you!
By Nabanita Dutta