Actor Arpita has carved out a niche for herself that has surpassed her identity as the wife of Tollywood super star Prosenjit Chatterjee. The talented artiste, who catapulted to fame in 1997 by winning a beauty pageant has come a long way since. Her powerful performance in young filmmaker Arjunn Dutta’s Abyakto, which will release this year, is the talk of the town already. The movie, starring Adil Hussain besides her, features a mother-son relationship story, where Arpita has played two different ages for the first time. Her impeccable reprisal of a 25-year-old and a woman in her late forties has drawn applause in all the festivals, including IFFI Goa, where it was the only Bengali film to be nominated for the centenary debutante director category.
Looking graceful in grey woollens and black trousers, the petite star took some time off a busy schedule, shooting of filmmaker Anik Dutta’s fifth film Barun Babur Bondhu (working title) to chat with Indulge over a cuppa. Excerpts:
You had been missing from Tollywood for a while?
I was in Delhi most of the time for the past four years, busy setting up my business and people assumed many things including that I have changed my base. Hence they hesitated to approach me. But I did my first Hindi film, Onir’s Shab, and Chouranga during that period only. I also did a Bengali movie, Saibal Mitra’s Chitrokor. But I am back here again and I had to announce that loudly (laughs). I am also very choosy about films and consider three things before saying yes to a film – story and script, the character I am playing and my equation with the director.
In your upcoming film, Abyakto, you play two different age groups for the first time...
It was very challenging to do that but what helped me a lot is the fact, that I am a very good observer. Films are a reflection of our society with characters that exist in real life. So, observing people and their mannerisms always helped me grow as an actor.
You play a lawyer in Artonaad and you have also acted for the first time with Aparna Sen in Anumita Dasgupta’s Bohoman. ..
I strongly believe in the content and message of Artonaad, which is about child abuse. I play a lawyer in this movie. In Anumita’sBohoman I play actor Bratya Basu’s wife. The main reason for doing Bohoman was to work with Aparna Sen. It’s a film on a mother-son relationship enacted by Aparna and Bratya. I play the daughter-in-law, and her relation with the mother-in-law is a critical part of the movie’s plot.
Tell us about your role in Anik Dutta’s movie, Barun Babur Bondhu.
I play Ritwik Chakraborty’s wife and Soumitra Chatterjee, who’s the protagonist of the film, plays my father-in-law.
Your only play till now is Natir Puja, where your act was much appreciated. Would we see you on stage again?
That’s in my mind for the past couple of years, too, and it’s going to happen this year for sure. Also, I will be seen acting in a short film made by Pratim D Gupta for an OTT platform.
How do you handle gossips regarding your personal life?
In our profession, gossips are an integral part. If there is no gossip, it would mean we are not in a safe zone and people have lost interest in us. But I believe, if something is devoid of truth it gets diluted on its own with time. I have never lied to the media when it comes to my life.
How much of the speculations about your love life are true?
Seeing someone is something which I believe in and appreciate. You must love someone and be loved. It’s impossible for a husband or a wife to love each other for years with the same intensity, just as it’s impossible for the sun to rise in west. It’s alright to love someone as you are not harming anyone in the process.
Is that the case with you, too?
That’s what I am saying. If you like someone that’s the most beautiful thing on earth and according to me, that can be the only reason to keep a marriage alive since you will not be disgruntled. It took so long for our courts to do away with penalising adultery or same sex relationships. The day our society will accept bigamy, the rate of divorce will come down drastically.
How has love changed you as a person?
I have learnt from each relationship, each failure... each pain has been a huge learning, which has made me intrinsically a better person.
BOX: App-solute mommy care:
Arpita, an accomplished entrepreneur talks about her Delhi–based video-app developing joint venture, Mydia 100 with friend Barun Das that kept her away from Kolkata for nearly four years. The actor shares enthusiastically that:
We produce video apps and have successfully launched Saheli, a pregnancy care video app available in almost all regional languages. Our next way forward is to get into baby care apps. Plans to generate content exclusively for the OTT platforms are very much on and you will get to see us in that space very soon.
@sharmidas
sharmishtha.g@newindianexpress.com