It's been more than 20 years since she started acting, but she is still the reigning heroine of Bengali cinema. Rituparna Sengupta, who showcased two of her latest films, Bharaate and Teenkahon, over the weekend at the Bengali Film Festival Dubai, tells The National about her Bollywood plans, her love of dance and the secret of her successful career.
You made your acting debut in 1994 and won India's National Film Award for Best Actress in 1998 for Dahan. You are still the top heroine of Bengali cinema. What is the secret of your longevity?
Yes, it has been 20 years. It’s interesting that I was a heroine then and I’m a heroine now. I think it’s my hard work that paid off. I didn’t know anybody in films to start with, yet I’ve been lucky to work with good directors. Actresses in India are written off once they get married. But I proved this wrong – I did some of my best films after getting married.
How has Bengali cinema changed in these 20 years?
There’s a lot of new-age cinema right now and I’m glad to be a part of that.This has given me a boost as an actress. Also, the audience wants to see some essence of their lives reflected in movies. Cinema is all about real-life heroes and heroines right now, not just the larger-than-life ones.
You’ve had many commercial hits portraying your glamorous side, but you’re equally at ease with art-house films, receiving accolades for complex roles.
I’m a product of commercial cinema. I’ve done the best of commercial cinema, with all the action and dancing, and continue doing that. But good realistic cinema is where my heart is.
What criteria do you look for before signing up for a film?
The script has to really excite me. I look to see if the role or film can reinvent the actress in me. Like, right now I'm doing a pivotal role in Srijit Mukherji's period film Rajkahini.
You have trained in two classical dance forms, Odissi and Manipuri, and you have choreographed dances to some of Rabindranath Tagore’s works. How important is dance to you? Very important. Dance gives you immense satisfaction and tranquillity. I want to establish a dance academy someday.
You've acted in Hindi films such as Main, Meri Patni Aur Woh and Dil Toh Baccha Hai Ji. But will we get to see you in some meatier roles in Bollywood and other regional cinema?
I've been too embedded in Bengali cinema so far. But a few Hindi films such as Tere Aane Se and Extraordinary are coming up.
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Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
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Install an air filter in your home.
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Top financial tips for graduates
Araminta Robertson, of the Financially Mint blog, shares her financial advice for university leavers:
1. Build digital or technical skills: After graduation, people can find it extremely hard to find jobs. From programming to digital marketing, your early twenties are for building skills. Future employers will want people with tech skills.
2. Side hustle: At 16, I lived in a village and started teaching online, as well as doing work as a virtual assistant and marketer. There are six skills you can use online: translation; teaching; programming; digital marketing; design and writing. If you master two, you’ll always be able to make money.
3. Networking: Knowing how to make connections is extremely useful. Use LinkedIn to find people who have the job you want, connect and ask to meet for coffee. Ask how they did it and if they know anyone who can help you. I secured quite a few clients this way.
4. Pay yourself first: The minute you receive any income, put about 15 per cent aside into a savings account you won’t touch, to go towards your emergency fund or to start investing. I do 20 per cent. It helped me start saving immediately.
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Director: M Night Shyamalan
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