In the limelight

I have no issues with this tag. There is no point in feeling embarrassed or shy about such tags or doing intimate scenes or wearing skimpy outfits in my profession.

Within a brief span,you have not only done unconventional roles and intimate scenes but also worn a lot of skimpy outfits. How did you develop this no-holds-barred approach?

I would rather talk about my roles and my directors than about the kind of dresses I have worn in my films. I loved my character in Bappaditya Bandopadhyay’s Kagojer Bou. Priti is a modern,independent girl who is prepared to go to any length to achieve her ambitions,even if it includes sleeping around or exploiting a gullible man. I had to lose weight and cut my hair for the role and I did it. I always follow my director’s instructions as he is the captain of the ship. I am now playing the female lead in Bappaditya’s adaptation of Rabindranath Tagore’s Char Adhyay,in which I will not be sporting any revealing clothes as it is a period film.

Tell us about your character in Takhan Teish.

I played a complex character with many layers that had a past,a present and future intercutting into each other over 48 hours. As Mohini,a soft-porn actress in Southern films,she sizzled in skimpy costumes in films-within-the-film. As Shampa Dasgupta,I was cynical about life,hating men around me,seething with anger. But slowly there was a transformation. I found the character fascinating as it was a strange blend of the real and surreal.

How was the experience of playing a girl who is victimised several times over but has to emote only through her eyes in Thana Thekey Aschhi?

I was nervous on the first day of the shoot as I was wondering if I would be able to get the right body language. My character goes through many phases. Her interaction with each character in the film is different. The most challenging thing was that I had to express everything simply through my eyes. I made up my dialogues mentally to get cued into the expression needed in a given scene. For a relative newcomer like me,it was difficult,but challenging. I am grateful to Sharanda for depending on me for this difficult role.

What kind of actress would you say you are?

I am a blend of a director’s actress and a natural performer aspiring for perfection all the time. I often put in my own suggestions about any role. Atanu had described the character of Takhan Teish to me in detail. Gautamda exacted every inch of my potential for both Kaalbela and Moner Manush. I enjoyed both the roles,though Prosenjit overshadowed me completely in Moner Manush. Bappaditya Bandopadhyay is a cool director who allowed me to interpret the character in my own way. He works without any script. Kamala’s character in Moner Manush was a gruelling exercise in training, acting and dancing in harmony with the vagaries of Nature.

Are you against roles in commercial films?

I hate to slot myself as a mainstream actress. That is why an Anup Sengupta film is as dear to me as Moner Manush or Moinak Bhowmick’s Bedroom. I was introduced through mainstream films. An actress must take every assignment she chooses to work in as a challenge and as a professional assignment. I have done three films opposite Prosenjit — Agni Pareeksha (2006),Hochheta Ki (2007) and Jamai Raja (2008.) My role of Madhabilata in Kaalbela was the turning-point. People who had read Samaresh Majumdar’s novel,on which the film was based,were familiar with my character. But after watching the film,they liked the way Madhabilata emerges stronger than the man she loves.

How do you look back on your journey in Bengali cinema till now?

It has not been easy. I have struggled for five long years without getting good roles,money or recognition. I got offers for ramp shows. I turned them down because I was determined to do something that would give me recognition and success. I want my audience to respect me as a committed actress. I could not have done that through insignificant ramp shows. Patience and hard work is what counts.