Renuka Vyavahare (BOMBAY TIMES; September 20, 2019)

A small-town boy from Bilaspur, son of a teacher, Satyajeet Dubey had always aspired to become an actor. And eight years ago, that dream came almost true when he made his debut in a high school romance produced by Shah Rukh Khan’s banner. However, that film tanked without a trace. His chocolate-boy looks and exuberance intact, the actor now hopes that his next release, Prassthanam, will help him get noticed.

Recalling his struggle, Satyajeet told BT, “I have been a part of three films before, but Prassthanam feels like my debut. I came to Mumbai in 2007 and two years later, I signed a film called Always Kabhi Kabhi, produced by Shah Rukh Khan’s banner. Ali Fazal was in it, too. It was a dream come true for me, when I did that film, at the age of 19. It released in 2011, but didn’t work. That experience taught me why we call movies, ‘business’. Your films need to garner big numbers, that’s the only way to survive. My real struggle started after that film’s debacle. I also realised that I didn’t want to do just chocolate-boy roles all my life. I want to do character-driven roles, an opportunity I got in Prassthanam.”

Interestingly, Satyajeet bagged the film after Maanayata Dutt (producer) saw one of his previous films on a flight. He shared, “After my debut, an indie film called Kerry On Kutton came my way. But that didn’t get noticed either. However, Maanayata Dutt happened to see it on the flight. She clicked my picture and showed it to Sanju sir (Sanjay Dutt), who then called me. I was at my lowest at that point. In Prassthanam, I play an antihero, who wants to sit on his father’s throne. You might not love him, but you will empathise with him. No one is outright bad.”

The actor explored television briefly to survive, but never gave up on his dream of entering movies. “I didn’t do TV extensively. I could have done daily soaps and been a part of reality shows, driving a posh car and owning a penthouse, but that was never my calling. Money will follow if you follow your heart,” he said.

Satyajeet Dubey on playing Dutt’s on-screen son in Prasthanam
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; August 9, 2019)

Essaying Sanjay Dutt’s younger son in Prasthanam, Satyajeet Dubey is a key player in the drama that focuses on the political ambitions of a family. Elated as he was to bag the part, the youngster admits that he was initially nervous about sharing screen space with the senior actor. “I was awestruck when I met him at the Sanjay S Dutt Productions office. But Sanju sir broke the ice by giving me a jaadu ki jhappi. He told me that he had liked my work in Kerry On Kutton (2016),” recounts Dubey.

Given the theme of the Deva Katta-directed venture, the actor acknowledges that the shoot was an emotionally draining affair. “Sometimes, I would shiver as it used to be exhausting, emotionally as well as physically. Sanju sir used to observe me quietly. Finally, one day, he sat me down and said, ‘Beta, you need to learn how to switch on and switch off, or else you won’t be able to create a volume of work as an actor.’”

The shoot proved to be a test of his physical prowess too — Dubey filmed the Lucknow schedule despite having strained his shoulder muscle. “Shooting with a busted shoulder and an injured nose was not easy. But Sanju sir and Ali [Fazal] were so perfect in every shot that I had to will myself to match up to their energy level.”