Exclusive! “Why should I regret it?” says 'Kahaani's original Bob Biswas reacting to Abhishek Bachchan's spin-off

The moment Shah Rukh Khan announced the spin-off of Sujoy Ghosh directed ‘Kahaani’, it sent social media into a tizzy. While some were delighted to hear about the revival of a spine-chilling negative character into a full-fledged feature film, many were not that happy about the casting. There were questions about casting Abhishek Bachchan as the iconic character, not the original actor Saswata Chatterjee, who actually made it so popular.

So, what Saswata Chatterjee has to say about the ‘Bob Biswas’ film? The celebrated actor who recently returned to Kolkata after an outdoor schedule spoke to ETimes in an exclusive chat and stated that he is absolutely fine with the casting of the spin-off. “Why should I regret it? Rather, I am proud to see that the character I had created once will now be portrayed by the prince of the Bachchan family. As a Bengali, I am feeling proud. I have already essayed the character. It’s now Abhishek’s turn. I will definitely watch the film,” says a joyful Saswata.
Earlier Parambrata Chattopadhyay who played a crucial role in ‘Kahaani’ had lent his support to Abhishek being cast as ‘Bob Biswas’. “It’s difficult to say because the film will be made for a pan India audience. Everyone will watch the film, not only the Bengali audience. I believe they have taken the decision after considering all these factors. Yes, since I was a part of ‘Kahaani’, for me Bob Biswas means Saswata Chattopadhyay. But I am sure Abhishek Bachchan will do a good job,” the ‘Pari’ actor had said.
Besides being compared to iconic villains such as Gabbar Singh and Mogambo, Saswata Chatterjee's portrayal of a harmless-looking insurance agent who murders for money had once given birth to so many jokes and one-liners on social media. There are even Facebook and Twitter pages dedicated to Bob Biswas with thousands of followers.