Jisshu Sengupta, the blue-eyed boy of the Bengali film industry, has actively made a shift to Bollywood. With two films ready for release — Shakuntala Devi with Vidya Balan and Sadak 2 helmed by Mahesh Bhatt — the actor claims this is the rebirth of his career. "Though I have been doing Hindi films since Shyam Benegal's Bose: The Forgotten Hero [2004], I knew I had to move cities after Manikarnika [2019]. Coming to Mumbai was never on my mind [until then]. Two years ago, I decided to come out of my comfort zone. I am a Lokhandwala lad now!"

Sengupta seems to be at ease with the daunting new phase of his life. "It never came across as a step down. Screen space doesn't determine your merit; performance does. People are familiar with my work in the Bengali films, especially the ones with Rituparno Ghosh," says the actor, adding that his co-star Vidya Balan makes it delightful. "I am a huge fan of Vidya, the actor, but she is an even better human being and colleague on set. She has the knack to break the ice and crack these witty one-liners that put you right at ease. While she has worked with Srijit Mukherji in Begum Jaan [2017], Vidya said she loved me in the original version, Rajkahini [2015]."