Life may get the better of us as we enter adulthood, but the quest to find a perfect match to spend one’s life with not necessarily has to be that monotonous. Premendu Bikash Chaki’s latest venture Paka Dekha is all about stirring the nostalgia of arranged marriages, and merging it with the complexities of a modern, corporate life. Paka Dekha collides the worlds of Joy (Soham Chakraborty), a disciplined bank worker and that of Tiyasha (Susmita Chatterjee), a young woman struggling to maintain a work life balance owing to her IT job. We catch up with Susmita, to learn more about her role in the movie and what her ideal match looks like in real life.
How will you describe Tiyasha in Paka Dekha? Are there any similarities between Tiyasha and Susmita?
Tiyasha from Paka Dekha lives a very fast life, owing to her 9 to 5 corporate job and the work pressure that comes with it. On the personal front, she is extremely emotional and loves her near and dear ones but simultaneously loves her share of independence and freedom. She doesn’t like being dictated, and only follows what her heart deems fit. Off the reels, I too love having a control on my life and hate being prompted. I listen to my heart and function accordingly even if the consequences might not always be as expected.
Both of your films Paka Dekha and Prem Tame are romantic. What sort of roles and genre do you wish to explore in the future?
I am extremely fond of woman- centric films and really want to step into the shoes of a police inspector someday. Alia Bhatt’s films like Raazi, Highway and Dear Zindagi, followed by Taapsee Pannu’s choice of films interest me a lot. I love the fact that the women in these films are motivated to make an impact on our society, and have a sense of power in them.
Are there enough woman centric movies being made in the Bengali film industry?
There are a few coming up here in Tollywood but definitely not as much as in Bollywood. I am rooting for Tollywood to come up with more women-centric movies in the future.
What does Susmita’s ideal partner look like?
There’s no one in my life right now, nor do I have a perfect picture painted in my mind since everybody is flawed. I look forward to being with someone who makes me feel loved and cared for. I feel if there’s a sense of understanding in a relationship, it can make everything fall in place. I expect to be understood by my ideal partner who will acknowledge my thoughts and support me through my ups and downs. Support is very important.
What’s Next?
My next film Kachher Manush alongside Prosenjit Chatterjee, Dev and Ishaa Saha is all set to release during the Pujas. I have also shot for a few films that are down the release pipeline. Apart from this I am currently working on Chengiz opposite Jeet. My focus is entirely on films as of now, but given a good OTT script I might as well consider it.