R: After his film 'Abohomaan' where I just played a cameo… that was the first time I worked with Rituparno Ghosh in one of the lead roles. Initially I was very skeptical and anxious because I had heard so much about him, about what a great director he is; and that he's a taskmaster and a perfectionist. I'd seen his films and I was apprehensive. But it went so smooth, we made friends eventually, and the result was a good team! It was great experience for me as well as learning.
ON HER CHARACTER
R: My character's name is Komola - a typical village girl, who knows nothing about the world around her. A completely no-frills character. This is a character I thought I could or would never play, but it happened. I am glad people are liking my character and my performance both.
ON SISTER RAIMA AND HOW THEIR CHARACTERS ARE DIFFERENT FROM EACH OTHER
My sister Raima plays this really beautiful, glamorous girl, who's very culturally and artistically-inclined, and is very intelligent. On the contrary, my character is of a girl who's uneducated, very naïve, vulnerable, and whose life revolves around her husband, her kitchen, and her bedroom.
ON MUSIC
In the music of Rabindra Sangeet, the beauty of it is that someone from his era would think ahead of his time and that's how we could create a film today – which even the generation of today can relate to. And there lies the USP of the film!
ON working with Prosenjit and Jisshu?
R: Jisshu and I go back a long way. About 8-9 years back when Jisshu was a model and I was in school, we had done a photo shoot together in Calcutta. After that we both did a couple of films and here we were meeting after so long, in a completely different setting! It was great working with him as he's very easygoing, willing to learn, and we enjoyed many laughs together! Prosenjit is someone I've always looked up to and always wanted to work with! He's a very good actor, and despite being around for so long, he's still the leading actor in Calcutta today. It was a great opportunity for me to work with him since this was a great script, Raima was in the film, and even though we had very few scenes together, I was glad that I was paired with him.
ON Rituparno Ghosh as a director.
R: Rituparno is a brilliant director! Very comfortable to work with. He understands you as a person; looks at you as a person and then casts you in the character. And then he moves the character according to you and does it so effortlessly that you wouldn't realize you're in a character that he wants you to be in! That's his specialty! I initially thought that after I read the script I might have to attend workshops to get into the skin of the character, but none of that happened. I just read the script once and gave my inputs, he shared his thoughts and then he brought out certain nuances of the character on screen which only a director can do! He's like a genius – you don't even know when he's working, when he's not! It was a great experience!
ON Subhash Ghai as a producer
Yes, Subhash ji always has faith in me and so do I. I have been signed by Subhash Ghai for three films in 2008 for his company Mukta Arts and worked in two of his productions 'Apna Sapna Money Money' and 'Paying Guests.' When I came to know that Mukta Arts was interested in making regional films, I suggested about a Bengali film and Rituparno Ghosh who had been in talks with Subhash ji since long. And one day this film happened to all of us… We set out shooting the film without any expectations, any intentions. It was just like an experiment for us! Eventually the film turned out larger that it was supposed to be!
ON Mr. Ghai's decision of dubbing it in Hindi
R: Subhash ji is a very creative producer apart from the fact that he is a great director himself. I think Mr. Ghai's idea of dubbing it in Hindi has been THE best idea ever! Because it's such a beautiful film, so aesthetic! I don't think it should be restricted to a particular audience. It should be universal and something for everyone to see. Because Rabindranath Tagore maybe from Bengal, and his ideas are universal and futuristic. But it's for generations to come and for the generation today! I think the film should travel wide because it's a film that anyone would relate to, and accept gracefully!
Expectations
When I have a film releasing, I don't expect anything. I think the more you expect the more it gets jinxed. So, I'm not expecting anything and just hoping for the best!