/> On seeing Sujoy Ghosh's stunning Kolkata suspense-drama Kahaani your attention is immediately caught by a quietly accomplished Bengali actor Parambrata Chatterjee who plays Vidya Balan's hero in the film.

Parambrata, Param to friends, it can now be revealed, plays Vidya's distressed spouse-searching character's cop-saviour who breaks protocol, rules and conventions to get Vidya to her goal and somewhere down the line becomes subtly attracted to her.

Parambrata conveys his growing affection for his leading lady with a silent eloquence that some of the Bollywood superstars would find hard to replicate.

So yes, Parambrata is the hero of Kahaani.

"Wrong! Kahaani already has two heroes, Vidya and Kolkata. I'm the film's heroine, " he quips mischievously from Shanti Niketan where he's shooting his new Bengali film as mobs threaten to disrupt the shooting.

"Bad idea to shoot in Shanti Niketan on Holi. I tried to dissuade the director. But he wouldn't listen. Did Sujoy Ghosh listen when he was warned it was suicidal to shoot on the streets of Kolkata with Vidya?

Directors listen only to the voice of their creativity. Ask me. I've directed a film Jiyo Kaka and am all set to direct another film which would probably star the Bengali superstar Prosenjeet, " that soft clipped voice informs.

Last year's Bangla superhit Baise Shrabon which starred Prosenjeet and Parambrata became a blockbuster and turned the latter into a Kolkata superstar. Now Kahaani, hopes Parambrata, would make him a familiar figure in Bollywood, though he admits he's happy being a star in Bengal and doesn't crave for acceptance in Bollywood.

How the role in Kahaani happened makes an interesting story, better told by Parambrata, "I was abroad in Amsterdam with my girlfriend when I received a call from Mumbai. Before he could introduce himself as Sujoy Ghosh he showered the choicest expletives on me asking me to return to India to start shooting for his film.

He had seen my work in Anjan Datta's Bong Connection and felt I was right for the role. From Amsterdam I was supposed to go with my girl to Paris and Rome.

Paris, I couldn't wriggle out of. (She'd have killed me and then left me). But Rome, I cancelled and returned to India for Kahaani. That's my kahaani, " Says the young actor, admitting he had to work hard on his Hindi, but not so hard on establishing a rapport with Vidya with with whom the young Bengali actor shares almost every single frame in Kahaani.

Says Parambrata, "You know, by a strange coincidence Vidya and I both did our first film Bhalo Theko in Bengali, together. We hadn't met since then. But the minute we were together for Kahaani it was just like old times.

Vidya is a huge star but absolutely hassle-free. She takes her work dead seriously. But is a bundle of fun off camera. I found her attitude to be a refreshing change from some of the temperamental Bengali actresses I've worked with.

Some of them have no reason to thrown tantrums. But they do. Vidya is big enough a star to throw her weight around. But she doesn't. "

Parambrata shares that while directing Jiyo Kaka actress Rituparna Sengupta would come hours late on the sets. "I finally discovered a formula to beat her unpunctuality. I'd tell her to report on the sets much before she was actually required. "

Parambrata is in a long-distance relationship with a Dutch girl. "Her name is Ike Schouten. And we've been seeing each other for two years. She spends some months of the year with me in Kolkata.

And I fly down as frequently as possible. Ike is too kicked aboit Kahaani, not only because I'm in it but because it was shot in Kolkata. She can show all the places that he loves in Kolkata to her friends in the Netherlands. "