Bengali actor Ritwick Chakraborty reprises the role of advocate Achinta Aich in the second season of Hoichoi web series Advocate Achinta Aich, which premieres on August 15. Ahead of the premiere, IBNS correspondent Souvik Ghosh catches up with the actor at South Of Bengal restaurant in Kolkata... Excerpts...

Q. How different was your approach to the sequel?

A. The characters in any series remain consistent across the seasons. Having said that, characters need to grow as well for the sake of stories and audience. Like in every series, there is a growth in my character from Advocate Achinta Aich. In the first season, Achinta was shown very under-confident while in the sequel, he may have gathered a bit of courage. His relationships with others have grown with time. The storyline is completely non-identical.

Ritwick Chakraborty. Photo: Avishek Mitra/IBNS

Q. You must have been more familiar with Achinta in the second season as compared to the inaugural one. Were you more confident to play Achinta this time?

A. It's true I have become familiar with Achinta but as an actor, I have always wanted to explore some of his unknown shades. It's my craving as an actor. He may have new sides but that would be in sync with the soul of his character. With one-season experience of playing Achinta, it was easier for me to get hold of his newer shades.

Q. How has Achinta changed across the two seasons?

A. The basic structure of his character remained the same but he has grown in confidence. While he was a bachelor in the first season, he is on the way to get married here in part two so definitely he has grown as an individual.

Q. How do you connect to Achinta's intelligence?

A. I get to play a criminal as well as an advocate being an actor so it's my job to identify the intelligence of any character. When I play a role, I become his supporter. Irrespective of the audience's perspective, I remain aware of his intelligence. So it was the same while playing Achinta, who is not a seasoned advocate but meets challenges and overcomes them. He learns on the job.

Ritwick Chakraborty in Advocate Achinta Aich 2. Photo: Hoichoi

Q. We have come across a promo where Achinta is dreaming about being mobbed by reporters. How much does he enjoy this celebrity status?

A. Achinta hasn't become a celebrity. He was shown dreaming about being a celebrity in the promo. Though he didn't attain celebrity-status, he was celebrated at a level because he had defeated a tough lawyer in the first season. But overall he still maintains an ordinary status.

Q. You incorporate day-to-day observations in your characters. Is it challenging to do the same for roles like an advocate who has a fixed professional mannerism?

A. I do not view a character solely through his occupation. The way I consider myself as an individual who is an actor by profession, I have looked at Achinta as someone whose is an advocate by occupation. Achinta has a life beyond his occupation. I do not think an advocate has a particular mannerism or an occupation dictates one's mannerism. It's my way of looking at things. Our idea of the way an advocate pleads in the courtroom has also been shattered in recent times due to the live streaming of court proceedings (laughs).

Ritwick Chakraborty. Photo: Avishek Mitra/IBNS

Q. We have completed a year since the horrific rape-murder incident in RG Kar. A lot of people including the victim's parents believe there are more than one involved in the crime. Were these thoughts encompassing your mind while playing an advocate?

A. The incident is vivid in all of our minds. The RG Kar has remained the most prominent among all the crimes that have occurred in recent times. We all were moved by the horrific incident because an on duty junior doctor was raped and murdered and that too at a government hospital! The incident raised doubts over safety at the workplace. To be honest, the incident didn't trigger me separately but the horrific incident is still fresh in our minds. The investigation and the trial are still on so justice is awaiting. Moreover, the judicial process is very lengthy so we have no other choice than waiting as an ordinary citizen.