Mrinal da was known for his serious and art [house] cinema, but, personally, he was one of the nicest and coolest human beings. He loved to gossip, and was inquisitive, always eager to know what was happening around him.

I made my debut in 'Bhuvan Shome' when I was 15 years old. I was blissfully oblivious about who I was up against until I chatted with my fellow actors, Utpal Dutt and Shekhar Chatterjee at the shoot. If I had known anything about Mrinal da before [we began shooting], I would have surely developed cold feet. But, once we sat [together] I had no fear. Also, I wasn't aware of the film's success, as I had already left for Canada for my further studied [after it released]. It was only when I was invited for a film festival that I learnt of it.