Anirban Bhattacharya

Some Lesser Known Facts About Anirban Bhattacharya

• Anirban Bhattacharya is an Indian actor, theatre artist, singer, and director who predominantly works in the Tollywood industry. He is known for portraying the titular role in the hoichoi web series Byomkesh.

• He was born in a Bengali-Brahmin family in Midnapore, West Bengal, India.

• In an interview, Anirban talked about his school days and said that he was not good at academics; however, he achieved high scores in his favourite subjects, Bengali and History. Anirban said,
  

  I was born in Midnapore town. It was a different world. There were vast open spaces, playgrounds. I used to love playing. Though I was not very studious, I never failed in any class. I spent my childhood mostly playing in the fields, ghats and river banks. The place has changed beyond recognition. I have good memories of my childhood.”

• Soon after Anirban completed high school in 2004, he moved to Calcutta to pursue a career in theatre.

• In 2004, Anirban, after he moved to Kolkata to pursue a career in theatre, he used to share his room with the Indian cricketer Ashok Dinda. ^[7]Hindustan Times

• At the age of nineteen, Anirban joined Uhinee Kolkata for theatre training and learned the basics of theatre under Adrija Dasgupta, a theatre professional and an alumnus of the National School of Drama, New Delhi. He worked as a theatre artist in various theatrical productions directed by Adrija between 2005-10.

• In 2009, while pursuing a Master of Arts in Drama and Theatre, he received the Young Artist Scholarship from the cultural ministry of the Government of India.

• In 2010, he took training in Chhau at Baro Urma Village in Purulia, West Bengal; Chhau is a folk dance of West Bengal, Jharkhand, and Assam.

• In 2010, he was selected to work as a professional actor at Minerva, one of the oldest theatres in Kolkata. In Minerva, he acted in three theatrical productions between 2010-13.

• Anirban has worked as an actor in various Bengali-language theatrical productions like Iccher Oli Goli (2015), Awdyo Shesh Rajani (2016), Athhoi (2016), and Ghore Baire (2022).

• Besides acting, Anirban is interested in directing theatre plays and films. In 2008, Anirban made his directorial debut with the Bengali-language theatrical production Amader Dana Nei. Subsequently, he worked as a director for theatrical productions like Guru, Chowmatha, Udorniti, Pontu Laha 2.0, and Mondar.

• Anirban’s favourite theatrical productions are Othoi, FM Mahanagar, Adyo Shesh Rajani, Karu Basana, and Titumir. In an interview, Anirban talked about this and said,
  

  My top five picks will be Othoi, FM Mahanagar, Adyo Shesh Rajani, Karu Basana, Titumir. The reason is not just because I played a part in all of these but because it enhanced my journey and my personal growth in every aspect.”

• In 2013, Anirban made his Tollywood debut with the film Kolkatar King, wherein he played the role of Judhajit Sarkar.

  

• In 2015, Anirban acted in four Bengali-language films named Kader Kuler Bou, Jodi Bolo Hyan, Ebhabeo Fire Asha Jaye, and Arshinagar. Subsequently, he worked as an actor in many Tollywood films like Shahjahan Regency (2019), Detective (2020), and Bllabhpurer Roopkotha (2022).

  

• In 2015, he made his television debut with the Zee Bangla TV serial Kader Kul-er Bou, wherein he played the role of Kanad Brahma. Subsequently, Anirban appeared in a lead role in many Bengali TV serials like Mahalaya (2016), Apur Sangsar (2017), Hushiar Bangla (2017), and Bhoomikanya (2018).

• In 2017, he made his digital debut with the hoichoi web series Byomkesh, wherein he portrayed the titular role opposite Ridhima Ghosh. Anirban has appeared in four seasons of the web series Byomkesh which premiered between 2017-19.

• Anirban has been featured in many films released on the online platform Hoichoi like Laboratory (2018), Manbhanjan (2019), and Gopone Prem Chharan.

• In 2018, Anirban made his playback debut with the Bengali song “Kichchu Chaini Ami” from the film Shah Jahan Regency. Subsequently, Anirban gave his voice to many Bengali songs like “Priyotama” from Dracula Sir (2020), “Badal Sircar Er Gaan” from Ballabhpurer Roopkotha (2022), and “Bibagi Phone” from Dilkhush (2023).

• In an interview, Anirban talked about his previous relationships and said that initially, he dated few women and was in a living relationship with them; however, he ended up breaking up with them on a sour note. Anirban said,
  

  I have been in live-in relationships, but they mostly ended on a sour note. I was worried and realised that I needed a friend to be with me. After that, I went up to this friend of mine and asked her to think over it. She thought for over a month and a half, said yes, and also shared her point of view on it. This happened one-and-a-half years back. If we can continue with this for some more time, I think we can get married sometime in October next year.” ^[8]The Times of India

• On 26 November 2020, Anirban got married to his longtime friend, Madhrima Goswami, a theatre artist and director. Reportedly, before marriage, Madhurima and Anirban were close friends. Madhurima is the daughter of Niranjan Goswami, a famous mime artist and stage director.

• According to sources, soon after the marriage of Madhurima and Anirban, many social media users trolled them for their wedding. Madhurima also received various body-shaming comments from netizens. In an interview, Anirban talked about this and said,
  

  I am not much into social media, so I am not aware of who is saying what about my wedding. More so because I am really busy at this moment and don’t have time to check anything. I have achieved this position after a lot of hard work, so reacting to all this is futile. Accountability modhey dhorina ei sob jinish gulo ke.”

• In 2022, he directed the Bengali language film, an adaption of the theatrical production Ballavpurer Rupkotha by Badal Sarkar.

• In 2023, he made his Bollywood debut with the film Mrs Chatterjee Vs Norway opposite Rani Mukerji, wherein he played the role of Mr Chatterjee.

  

• Anirban has worked as a voiceover artist for many episodes of Radio Mirchi’s show Sunday Suspense like Jadu Daktar-er Patient (2018), Tumi Sandhyaro Megh (2018), Sarbanashini (2019), and Daraoga Priyonath (2019).

• In 2023, Anirban was criticized by a Tollywood film producer Rana Sarkar on a social media post. In the Instagram post, he slammed Anirban’s film Mitthye Premer Gaan (2023) and called Anirban “poor man’s Al Pacino.” Sarkar also talked about Anirban’s monthly income and revealed that he received a fixed monthly salary of Rs 10 lakhs from a famous Bengali production house. Rana Sarkar wrote,
  

  In the first two days of the release of the poor man’s Al Pacino’s new film, could not even collect Rs one lakh in the box office. Shah Rukh Khan said he would come back, but who would know that ‘Khoka’ would vanish? Still, the intellectual snobbery will go on. He cannot make his film go on to the second week. Still, pretentious dialogues will go on.” Borrowing from an old Bengali adage, he further punned, “The wild animals are good in the forest and some stars on the lap of OTT. And we have nothing to do, we will not go elsewhere, we will stay in this country.” ^[9]OTTplay

• Anirban is a fitness enthusiast, and he often shares his fitness regime on various social media platforms.

• In an interview, Anirban said that he had a boring diet, and his daily meal included handmade rotis and chicken stew. Anirban said,
  

  Food usually comprises plain handmade rotis and chicken stew for me, and I can survive on them for months. I don’t follow any particular diet, but ensure that whatever I eat is healthy and less on oil. I have never really gone for rigorous exercise regimens.”