Priyanka Sarkar and Soham Majumdar take us through the unique world of Maya Satya Bhram
What happens when a child goes missing suddenly? What if it’s a case beyond regular kidnapping and explores the realms of the supernatural? What if there’s more than meets the eye? Samik Roy Choudhury’s film Maya Satya Bhram, which releases in theatres today, explores these questions through the story of a couple, played by Priyanka Sarkar and Soham Majumdar, searching for their missing son.
Ahead of the film’s release, we chatted with Priyanka and Soham about the film, the many illusions (maya), truths (satya), and lies (bhram) of fame and how they balance acting for a living with hunger for an excellent oeuvre. Excerpts from the chat:
What drew you to Maya Satya Bhram?
Priyanka: When I listened to the story first, I was truly blown away that Samik could think and write about such a fascinating subject. I could realise from the very beginning that it would be a very challenging role for me as an actress. After that, we had several reading sessions where we put our heads together to bring out the small yet important nuances in each of our roles. So, it was pretty exciting to be a part of this film.
Soham: When Samik narrated the script to me over a Zoom call, he was in a trance since parts of it were very personal to him. With him, I too went into a trance and when he stopped, we couldn’t speak for two to three minutes. It wasn’t an awkward silence but more of a thoughtful pause. I was bowled over. Also, when I heard Priyanka was part of the film, I was even more excited, as it would be the first time that I would work with her. I feel she is one of the most underutilised actors of our time. She is phenomenal in this film. A film is about collaboration too and it’s important to have good vibes with co-actors, which also reflects on screen. And Priyanka was a joy to work with.
Usually, psychological thrillers often blur the line between reality and perspective. How did this film navigate that path?
Priyanka: As the name suggests, there is a little bit of maya (illusion), satya (truth), and bhram (lies) well etched out in this film.
Soham: When we grew up, fantasy films were a mix of reality and fantasy. For example, Harry Potter was bullied by his own family, which is a reality, while many say Hogwarts was Harry’s imagination. In our film, too, reality and fantasy merge beautifully.
Priyanka: But the audience can interpret the film in their own ways. The narrative will hit the audience at a personal level from many angles, just as it did to us.
Soham: But it’s not an open-ended film.
Which were the most emotionally challenging scenes?
Priyanka: The film revolves around a missing child. As parents, we had to connect and feel on a personal level. It was so difficult to imagine that and go through a parent’s journey when their child is missing.
Did it affect you personally as a mother? Do you get worried about such things?
Priyanka: Yes, nowadays it worries me even more. But I can only guide him in the right direction.
How difficult do you find it to guide a teenage son while ensuring his trust in people is not ruined?
Priyanka: Unfortunately, parenting is a difficult task. Our job is to make them independent enough, so they don’t need us at every step in the future. Like the rest of the moms, I am also figuring out the journey of parenting, so that my son, Sahaj, understands what’s right and wrong. But there are certain subjects, which you can discuss and explain only when the child turns the right age.
Also, the more candid you can be in conversations, the better it is. It’s very important to make them aware of the boundaries. Children shouldn’t hesitate to share things with their parents, and it’s our responsibility to guide them and provide them both mental comfort and protection.
For celebrities, there’s the added problem of social media glare. Does that make it more difficult to raise a child?
Priyanka: For me, personal experience is more important, and I try to teach that to my son, too. If someone comes and tells me something about anyone, I don’t form an opinion. My opinions about individuals are based on my own experiences with them and not coloured by others’ viewpoints. I advise my son to do the same.
How do you both stay away from the illusion of fame?
Soham: I don’t indulge in social media and steer clear of the trappings of fame. I never wanted to be famous; it is just a by-product of my love for acting. I keep away from everything famous. It’s not that I don’t enjoy the validation that comes with my profession, but I keep my distance from it since the rest of my life is very normal. I still have the same set of friends I had before coming into acting. Of course, new friends are there, but the core group, where I can completely be myself, is still the same.
Priyanka: A good friend circle is important for keeping yourself grounded. Friends from various walks of life should be there, so that when you are having a stressful time at work, you can come out of that and have a good time with your friends.
How difficult is it to balance between acting for a living and pursuing a great body of work to be proud of?
Soham: It’s not always possible to choose projects that I genuinely like. One also has to work to survive. For a project by someone like Raj and DK, I won’t even think about how much I am paid since the opportunity itself is so big. But to work in such projects, I have to say yes to other projects even if they don’t satiate my hunger as an actor because I have to survive.
I did Maya Satya Bhram not because it will make me more famous, but because I wanted to do a quality film. I really wish rich people would adopt me so that I can only do films that I believe in (laughs).
Priyanka: I went through a long phase when I did work for survival. But now, time management has become even more important. I am a home-body and I love spending time with myself. I choose projects which challenge me as an actor and give me the scope to learn more and grow.
Priyanka, your act in Nadharer Bhela has received huge praise. How does it feel?
I am fortunate to get a chance in this film. I suddenly got a call from Pradipta Bhattacharya. The entire film was shot with so much care and attention. I have never read such a detailed script where pages have been devoted to explaining each role explicitly. Even the village in the film has a character and is so well-etched out in the script. The back-stories and the details were so well laid out that it was such a smooth sail to film this movie. As an actor and a person, I have evolved to a great extent after Nadharer Bhela.
What keeps you going as actors during lean phases?
Priyanka: I feel there’s no option. The zeal that I had at the onset of my career is hardly there. But I can’t let that girl down who saw dreams and I can’t give up. So, I face the challenges as a part of the journey and enjoy it, since nothing lasts forever.
Soham: I read a lot and watch more cinema. I did not come here to become famous. I want to be a part of making good films as an actor and a collaborator. I wish to create a platform for everybody to shine. When directors approach me with roles, I guide them towards more suitable actors and try to help them produce it. I am already creatively co-producing a couple of projects. But I don’t want to direct as it calls for a lot of patience, which I lack.
What’s the most impressive film you’ve watched lately?