Bonny Sengupta and Darshana Banik are set to appear together for the first time on screen in C/O A Journey, a film that brings together characters from different backgrounds and generations. In an interview, Bonny opened up about playing a con artist, his character’s emotional transformation and his experience working with child actor Trishanjit Chowdhury.
Actors Bonny Sengupta and Darshana Banik are exploring unfamiliar territory with their upcoming Bengali film C/O A Journey.
Directed by Pratik, the film follows three parallel journeys and brings together characters who come from very different social and professional backgrounds. At the centre of the story is an unexpected connection between Bonny’s character and a child played by Trishanjit Chowdhury.
In a conversation with IBNS correspondent Aaheli Chakraborty, the actors discussed their characters, their first on-screen pairing, inter-generational friendships and what it was like working with a young co-star.
Bonny Sengupta Plays a Con Artist
Bonny plays a con artist in C/O A Journey, a character he said initially attracted him because of the story’s emotional core.
According to the actor, his character arrives in Kolkata carrying several dreams but begins the story as someone who appears largely detached from his emotions.
His perspective gradually changes after he meets the child played by Trishanjit.
“My character comes to Kolkata with many dreams. He is initially emotionless, but gradually becomes more emotional after meeting the child (Trishanjit) and getting attached to him.”
Bonny said the character’s transformation was one of the aspects he found most challenging.
From Emotionless to Emotional
The actor explained that his character does not easily react to situations or express his feelings at the beginning of the film.
As the story progresses, however, the character develops an emotional bond with the child, forcing him to respond to situations differently.
“His journey from being emotionless to becoming emotional, and his growing connection with the child, was challenging.”
Bonny credited his conversations with director Pratik for helping him approach the role.
He said the director had a clear understanding of how the character and individual scenes needed to be handled, which made the preparation process easier.
Bonny on Working With Child Actor Trishanjit Chowdhury
The relationship between Bonny’s character and Trishanjit’s character is one of the film’s unusual elements.
Speaking about his young co-star, Bonny said working with children requires patience because their moods can change quickly.
“When you work with children, you have to be patient because they have their own moods.”
Despite that, he described the experience as enjoyable and said they encountered very few difficulties while shooting together.
Bonny also revealed that C/O A Journey is his third film involving a child actor, giving him some previous experience of working with younger performers.
“It was very easy and fun to work with him.”
Darshana Banik Plays a Prostitute
Darshana Banik is taking on a role she had not played before.
The actor portrays a prostitute, a character she said appealed to her precisely because it was different from her previous roles.
“I always want to do something I have never done before because it gives me a kick.”
Darshana explained that the character has an important contrast built into her personality.
When she is with friends or children, she behaves like an ordinary person, while her profession creates another side of her life. The actor said she and the director spent considerable time discussing that contrast.
She also pointed to scenes in the teaser in which the character speaks to clients with an attitude that reflects the circumstances in which she works.
Darshana on Her First On-Screen Pairing With Bonny
Although C/O A Journey marks Bonny and Darshana’s first released on-screen pairing, the two actors already knew each other.
Bonny revealed that they had previously worked together on a film that was never released.
Their existing friendship helped establish comfort between them on set.
“Hundred per cent. We had worked together before, although that film was not released, so this was not the first time we were working together.”
He said knowing Darshana beforehand made scenes requiring physical proximity, including hugs or holding hands, less awkward.
Bonny also described her as cooperative and punctual, adding that they regularly discussed and rehearsed scenes together.
Darshana Says She Saw a Different Side of Bonny
Darshana also said their professional collaboration allowed her to notice qualities in Bonny that she had not necessarily observed as a friend.
She described him as quiet and focused when he is working and said she was impressed by how quickly he learns his lines.
“He is very sorted, understands everything and is very calm and cool.”
Their existing friendship, she suggested, helped make their first on-screen collaboration comfortable.
‘Friendship Does Not Have an Age’
The film explores relationships between people from different generations, something both actors connected with during the interview.
Bonny said he does not believe friendship should be restricted by age.
“I always feel that friendship does not have an age.”
He explained that some of his friends are significantly older than him, but that does not prevent them from having a genuine friendship.
For Bonny, spending time with older friends can also provide an opportunity to learn from their experiences.
“They share their stories and there is always fun banter.”
Darshana similarly said she enjoys interacting with children and believes people of different ages can form meaningful friendships.
Darshana on the Film’s Village-to-City Journey
For Darshana, one of the interesting aspects of C/O A Journey is its movement between rural and urban settings.
She said Bengali cinema has often been associated with stories centred on Kolkata and urban life, while C/O A Journey attempts to bring both village and city into the narrative.
The film follows a boy who travels from a village to Kolkata carrying his dreams of what the city can offer.
Darshana said the story also explores the humanity of people the protagonist encounters in the city.
“The city has been romanticised a lot, but the film also shows that people from Kolkata who may initially appear rude still have humanity in them.”
Bonny Calls It an ‘Ordinary Story’ That Becomes Extraordinary
Bonny described C/O A Journey as a simple story involving people from different generations, professions and backgrounds.
“It is an ordinary story that might come across as extraordinary.”
Rather than relying solely on conventional action or thriller elements, the actor said the film is driven by its emotional relationships and relatable characters.
He believes the characters’ everyday qualities are central to the film’s appeal.
“The characters are not over-the-top; they are very relatable.”
Bonny on How His Approach to Acting Has Changed
Reflecting on his career of around 12 years, Bonny said his approach to acting has changed considerably with experience.
Early in his career, he felt he had to reproduce the script exactly as written and memorise every line.
With time, he said he has learned to understand the script as a whole and focus more deeply on the character.
That has also made him more comfortable with changes during filming.
“If the director asks me to add or change something, I can do that.”
For C/O A Journey, Bonny said he and director Pratik discussed the characters and overall direction extensively before shooting, which helped establish a clear understanding of the film.
A Story About Unexpected Connections
At its heart, C/O A Journey appears to be built around the idea that people from vastly different circumstances can meet and influence one another.
The film’s characters do not necessarily begin with obvious connections, but their journeys intersect as they travel through the story.
For Bonny, that is an important part of the meaning of a journey itself.
“The destination is important, but meeting people along the way is equally important.”
With its combination of village and city settings, characters from different generations and relationships that develop unexpectedly, C/O A Journey aims to tell a grounded story through the experiences of its central characters.
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