Bengali film icon Rituparna Sengupta plays a cartoonist for the first time in Sayantan Ghoshal's Madam Sengupta, which released on July 4. Fresh from the positive reviews of Sharmila Tagore starrer Puratawn, Rituparna interacts with IBNS correspondent Souvik Ghosh at her South Kolkata residence to talk about the film, her dominance across genres of films and her run as a producer. Excerpts...

Q. Why did you decide to opt for this script?

A. I opted because of a few reasons. First of all, I have not explored the thriller genre much. I have not played a cartoonist or an investigator in my career span. So a number of factors were responsible behind my decision to choose this script. Moreover, it's a very interesting story about student politics and a subconscious social level of dealings with all kinds of people. So that was also an interesting aspect, and then, of course, a very deep relationship bonding between the mother and a daughter. Besides these, I haven't worked with Sayantan before. The film also marks my reunion with a fantastic actor like Rahul Bose with whom I have worked for the first time after Anuranan.

(From L to R) Rituparna Sengupta and Rahul Bose in Madam Sengupta. Photo: PR Team

Q. How was your experience of working with young director Sayantan Ghoshal? Was he intimidated by you?

A. He is actually a wonderful director as far as the young generation is concerned. When it comes to intimidation, maybe, yes (laughs). Though I didn't get any signs of intimidation from him, there was a lot of respect and interesting vibes, I must say. Along with intimidation, there was a point of curiosity and suspense. They are not quite aware of who I am so sometimes it's like a discovery for them. So it's an interesting chemistry for all the newcomer directors. They are very intrigued to know me, of course, but I feel that's a part of life that people should be intrigued to know me as well. (smiles).

Q. How was the experience of diving into an emotional roller coaster in the setup of a thriller?

A. I am very embedded with relationship films. Relationship issues actually trigger me a lot. But at the same time, there are thriller and suspense elements sort of following the emotions and then playing a cartoonist in this film. So it was an amalgamation of a lot of things that will leave a profound effect on the mind of the audience.

Rituparna Sengupta at her residence in Kolkata. Photo: Avishek Mitra/IBNS

Q. Your previous film Puratawn also explored the mother-daughter relationship where you played the daughter. How was the transition from that film to Madam Sengupta where you turn out to be the mother?

A. Puratawn was a completely different genre and a very different aspect to talk about. It was a very deeply bonded relationship film. But in Madam Sengupta, the relationships are very differently defined, like a mother and daughter, a cartoonist, husband, a friend, then the student politics and people from the political regime. The two films are completely different in terms of chaos and genre though the audience could be the same. So I would rather love to do different aspects and genres that excite me a lot. I feel like exploring into zones that I haven't done over the decades and unfolding what I haven't unfolded yet. I should be remembered for the characters I play.

(From L to R) Rituparna Sengupta and Sharmila Tagore in Puratawn. Photo: Screen-grab/YouTube

Q. How have you managed to juggle between commercial and different films over the years?

A. I've been doing this for years now so it doesn't seem new to me. But I feel like a novice and gullible when I work in any film because I do feel that there is something which I don't know about the character and I have to discover it. I should discover the character by the conclusion of filming.

In terms of juggling between roles, I think I've done it much before and so my experience has been great in that aspect because as an actor, I don't want to portray myself in a particular way, but I want to be imaged as somebody who is versatile with a tremendous hold on characters which she does. I have been very fluid from the time I started understanding the role of an actor. I didn't have any acting background so I didn't possess an actor's senses inherently. I would have maybe performed even better if I had been groomed better.

Rituparna Sengupta at her residence in Kolkata. Photo: Avishek Mitra/IBNS

Q. You must be fond of your roles in Dahan or Paromitar Ek Din but your brand is crafted by mainstream films. Which one is closest to you?

A. I love my commercial films and I think very strongly that I am a product of commercial cinema. Aparna Sen had an iota of doubts about casting me in Paromitar Ek Din. She was doubtful of how I would portray my role as I hadn't done any similar kind of film by then. But Sen and the producer later realised that I was the one to play the role. I just heard recently that the producer was hellbent to cast me for the role. But Aparna Sen actually groomed me very well and also credit goes to Sohag Sen.

(From L to R) Rajesh Sharma and Rituparna Sengupta in Paromitar Ek Din. Photo: Screen-grab/YouTube

I was completely in a different zone as I had no knowledge of these sorts of films. I was completely into commercial films where I would have to dance around the trees at that point of time in my career. I never knew I could feature in films like Paromitar Ek Din, Utsab, Dahan at a time when I was flying high as a commercial superstar. Rituparno Ghosh introduced me to a new kind of cinema. I am really indebted to Dahan for whatever I am right now.

Later, Paromitar Ek Din was a very big learning experience for me. Even now I feel so charged-up when people recall Paromitar Ek Din. So I have got a huge amount of experience and transition with different kinds of directors who have actually mentored me so well till date. The transition has been gradual and happening and still exists because I am not aware of the next phase of my career.

Rituparna Sengupta in Dahan. Photo: Screen-grab/YouTube

Q. Could you relate to the mother-daughter relationship in Madam Sengupta from your perspective since you are a mother of a teenage girl?

A. Oh, yeah, a number of times because my daughter has just entered her teens and her mood swings a lot nowadays. I think her expectations from her mother have become different. Her interactions with me have also changed. I had undergone similar changes when I was at her age. Even in the film, the daughter's terms with her mother changes upon growing up. As she grows up, she questions her mother, shoots her grievances at her. As a daughter grows up, a mother can identify the difference in their terms. It becomes a big liability for a successful, working mother to actually make folks understand where she is actually coming from.

Q. Famous people are often dragged into politics and this has been shown in the trailer of the film as well. How do you stay away from politics in your own backyard?

A. I am not stressed by it as I made it very clear that I don't belong to the political world. I can have political and social views but I don't have an acumen towards politics. I am an artist and I want to remain like that forever.

Rituparna Sengupta in Madam Sengupta. Photo: PR Team

Q. How was the screening of your upcoming film Goodbye Mountain- directed by Indrasis Acharya- at Auroville’s Cinema Paradiso?

A. Oh, the response was fabulous! Auroville is kind of a place where people from different parts of the world come, interwine, and try to find solace, discuss, delve into the nitty-gritties of films and explore in their own ways. The audience were flabbergasted by the film.

I am very much looking forward to the release of the film. It's one of the most favourite films I have in my kitty. I insisted Indrasis to make the film because it talks about a modern relationship issue where two lovers meet after twenty years. I am not sure how the audience will react to the concept but it could be a wake-up call for many people to realise something beyond conventional relationships.

Rituparna Sengupta at her residence in Kolkata. Photo: Avishek Mitra/IBNS

Q. You made Sharmila Tagore's comeback in the Bengali film circuit with Puratawn. What's your roadmap now as a producer?

A. I don't know exactly how to go about it right now (laughs). As a producer, I am really thrilled and happy to make a film that has received rave reviews from the audience and not just the box office collections. I believe the combination of myself and Sharmila Tagore has worked well. Sharmila Tagore is very fond of me. The collaboration happened very organically. When Sharmila-ji read the script, she said it was like poetry. I'm so overwhelmed with it right now that I can't think of anything else immediately but some smaller production stuff is still underway.