Samrat stripped

Having signed his first Hollywood horror film with Tiffany Shepis and hoping to sign another film with Tim Roth, Samrat Chakrabarti tells CT that he wants to continue being a ‘true hybrid actor’
Is it true that you’ve just signed a horror film that also stars Hollywood’s IT girl Tiffany Shepis?
Yes. I’ve done many Hollywood films before. I was approached by writer-director John Wildman early last summer.Originally, the male lead role was written as a Caucasian character from Texas. But after seeing a couple of my films, he thought about casting me as even though I wasn’t Caucasian. Stripped is a full-on American film in the horror genre (which I haven’t done before). As far as Tiffany is concerned, I am looking forward to working with a veteran in the Hollywood horror genre. I’m sure it will be quite an adventure. I’ve seen clips of her work and am eager to watch her film, The Violent Kind, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival this year.
Stripped is being described as a post-feminine horror film. Could you explain?
It is a horror film with a female protagonist instead of the classic films like Halloween, Nightmare on Elm Street that have largely had male protagonists.
With a female protagonist, do you have any fear of being overshadowed?
No. Hollywood horror films are a very specific genre. In this genre, the line is often blurred about who is the protagonist and who is the victim. I welcome a story and a challenge like this. In Stripped, I’m playing a Southern American, hick/frat boy. The story is about two brothers and their best friend (played by me) who end up in the wrong place at the wrong time. That’s where my character encounters Tiffany.
What about doing Hindi projects?
I had been offered a few Bengali/Hindi projects which ultimately didn’t work out because of date issues. I am continuously doing a wide range of projects. I want to continue being a true hybrid actor. I’m inspired by the level of cinema that is coming out of India. There’s a possibility of me returning to India to shoot an international film titled The Killing Moon. It is a period piece, set during the British Raj, that has to do with the South Indian ancient martial art, Kalari. The film will star legendary British actor Tim Roth.
You’ve just bagged an award in the UK...
I am honoured to be a recipient of the 2010 TMG Award in the acting category. I feel humbled to be a part of a prestigious group of winners that include AR Rahman, Ashutosh Gowariker, Irrfan, Nandita Das, Amartya Sen and Onir, among others.
Having worked in New York, what’s your take on the My Name Is Khan controversy?
I’ve done a film called Bombay Summer. The film-maker was asked to change its title to Mumbai Summer. My answer was that the name change sounds fine as long Bollywood changes its name to Mollywood. If that happened, I’d have no problems in supporting the change of my film’s name to Mumbai Summer. It is hypocrisy for the sake of hypocrisy that I can’t stand. Politics is interfering with art and it is sad that it continues do so with MNIK.