From shy kid to National award-winning actor: Here's Benjamin Daimary's story

GUWAHATI: Benjamin Daimary, a charismatic gay actor hailing from Assam's Bodo-dominated region recently made headlines after he was awarded the jury special mention at the 67th National Film Awards on 22 March for his portrayal of Jahnu, a transgender, in Prakash Deka’s Assamese film Jonaki Poruwa (Fireflies).

Even as Fireflies is racking up awards and garnering attention at film festivals across the globe, its leading man's dizzying rise to acting stardom has left many bewildered. Daimary, hailing from the small town of Goreswar, first made waves after winning the Prag Cine award for his role in Fireflies. He spoke to InsideNE about his foray into acting.

Reflecting on his beginnings as an actor to InsideNE, 21-year-old Daimary said that he caught the acting bug entirely by chance.

[caption id="attachment_88178" align="alignright" width="527"] Daimary (L) on the sets of 'Jonaki Porua'[/caption]

"I had always wanted to be a fashion model. Acting somehow happened by chance. In the summer of 2014, my sister joined a 15-day acting workshop called Chifung the Artist by Pari Sarania. I was initially not interested in joining. However, I changed my mind when I went to the workshop to hand over tiffin to my sister as I saw many kids my age at the workshop."

The actor says that his very first acting performance drew loud guffaws from the crowd.

"However, I was active in a lot of backstage work such as managing the props and set designing and costume designing," Daimary reflects, adding that he did not mind the initial jeers.

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Daimary, who is an alumni of the Goreswar Town LP government school, informed us that the contacts that he made at the acting workshop helped him land his first job as a leading actor in his first-ever film: Fireflies. The rest, as they say, is history.

"During Bihu of 2018, I was contacted by Pari Sarania of Chifung the Artist. She asked me to audition for an upcoming movie by Prakash Deka. I initially had my apprehensions as I did not fit the stereotype of being tall, fair, and handsome -- attributes of leading actors. However, I went to the producer Milin Deka's house in Guwahati to try out for the role," he said.

Getting selected for the role, Benjamin Daimary says, came as a shocker to him and was beyond his wildest expectations.

"I was initially surprised when I was selected for the role amid stiff competition. In the third phase of the audition at the director's house, there were many men who had come to try out. To be selected among all of them was honestly a bit of a surprise," he divulges.

Daimary says that he wasn't convinced that he had done a good role until the awards started pouring in.

"People on the sets after wrapping up the shoot said that I had done a convincing job that was award-worthy. However, I was not convinced and did not realize that I had actually done something so admirable."

After his initial tryst with fame, the actor has credited his family's support for his ability to be 'vocal' and express himself proudly.

"Initially, I was very shy and would hide when guests would come to my house. However, my mother has been a rock and helped me express myself and my sexuality proudly. My mother wished to be a dancer but she was instead put in a singing school. Therefore, she understands our passions. She has always encouraged us to experiment with numerous art forms."

Asked about his plans for the future, Daimary says that he is trying out for shows on OTT platforms which are becoming increasingly popular in a post pandemic era.

"My taste is not commercial and perhaps I would not enjoy performing in those kinds of films. Therefore, I am currently trying out for artistic and offbeat shows for Netflix and Amazon Prime -- sometimes I get calls back and sometimes not. I am currently struggling a lot and trying to land more roles in Mumbai," he says.

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