Overview

• Sengupta says director Rituparno Ghosh scolded him during a rapid three-page rehearsal before Bachchan intervened, asking why he was being reprimanded.
• Bachchan then practiced the scene with Sengupta about 30 times, which the junior actor says calmed his nerves and restored his confidence.
• He told Sengupta he stepped in because, as the marquee star, the scene would fail unless both performances landed, which could hurt the film.
• Sengupta notes Bachchan's fluent Bengali, attributed to early years working in Calcutta, made collaboration smoother on set.
• The recollection appears on Screen's Dear Me… Season 2 and was reported on September 29, 2025 by Indian Express, News18, and Hindustan Times.