I have been a part of three films before, but Prassthanam feels like my debut-Satyajeet Dubey

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.