‘We are good friends. Very close friends. Just not ‘that' close'
They've been spotted together at film premieres, intimate gigs, and over leisurely dinners at the city's favourite haunts. While the rumour mill is working overtime,
Srijit Mukherji
and
Susmita Chatterjee
offer a coy, coordinated response to their request sightings as a couple: 'Very good friends.
Very close friends. Just not that close.'
'She's a team player'
It all began in 2023 when the model-actress & the filmmaker almost worked together. 'He offered me a film back then,' Susmita says. 'But it didn't work out for some reason. Still, we stayed in touch and became friends over time.' Cut to 2025, when an actor (Parno) backed out of Srijit's ambitious period drama last minute, he called Susmita. 'She bailed me out. Within seven days,' Susmita is now part of the cast in Lawho Gouranger Naam Re, and as Srijit puts it, 'I loved working with her.
She's helpful, flexible, down-to-earth. Just not very Bangali, that's all.' Which explains why they've been seen attending cultural programmes together —like Anjan Dutta's recent show.
'He's been a mentor, guide'
'I mean, I'm not that fluent in Bangla,' Susmita admits. 'So he's helping me with that. He keeps suggesting music, events… and honestly, I'm learning a lot. He's been a mentor and a guide. It is a friendship that has enriched me.' Srijit, on his part, plays it cool.
by Taboola
by Taboola
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Undo
'Mentor and all are very hi-fi terms. We just share the songs we love. We eat out. We talk about films. And she makes me eat sushi while I try to convert her to Chinese.
' So what's really brewing here? 'Look,' Susmita says, 'people gossip. But I've never understood the need to hide when the friendship itself is helping me grow. If there was something to hide, would we be out and about so publicly?' Whether it's sushi, Chinese, or something slow-cooked over time, this duo's off-screen bond is definitely a talking point.
If there was something to hide, we wouldn't go out publicly– Susmita Chatterjee
She's into sushi and Indian food. I'm more of a Chinese guy
– Srijit Mukherji
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