Though they played their real-life roles of life partners in Onirban’s My Brother...Nikhil, Shayan Munshi and Peeya Rai Choudhuri do not feature as husband and wife in The Bong Connection. “I got in the way,” laughs Raima Sen who shuttles between Hindi and Bengali cinema. “It’s my first English language film. And I star opposite Shayan. Originally, my sister Riya was supposed to do the other role. But she stepped out. Never mind, we’ll have lots of other opportunities to come together.”

Recently, Raima flew to Hyderabad to join the unit of Mani Shankar’s Mukhbir. She has been asked to join the cast at the last minute for a guest appearance. “I agreed immediately because of my costar Sammir Dattani. We started our careers together seven years ago in a Rajshri Productions’ music video called, Valentine’s Day. People still remember us together in this video. We made a very nice couple. Mukhbir gives me a chance to be a part of a very unusual film.”

Raima is supposed to shoot a song with Sammir this week which Saroj Khan will choreograph. “I’ve done a Telugu film in Hyderabad. So I’m looking forward to going there,” says Raima as she tries to finish the dubbing for two of her films including Rituparno Ghosh’s Khela. “I play a small role of a dress designer in Khela. I can never say ‘no’ to Ritu. He acted out each and every nuance for me in Chokher Bali. That’s why I came across so effectively. Now he has offered me another role, though not a central one.”

Why does this pretty actress do so many supporting parts? “I can’t help it. After Parineeta I was offered a small role by Vidhu Vinod Chopra and Pradeep Sarkar again in Eklavya. I couldn’t say ‘no’. Besides, I enjoy working with Vidya Balan. She’s one of the few true friends in Bollywood.”

While the pairing with Sammir in Mukhbir seems conventional, some of Raima’s other costars may seem a little incongruous. In Reema Kagti’s Honeymoon Travels Pvt Ltd, for which she has just shot in Goa, Raima does a young-woman-older-man act with Kay Kay Menon. “Yes, we seem quite like the odd couple. But I really enjoyed working with Kay Kay and with Rahul Bose in my new Bengali film, Aniruddha (Tony) Roy Chowdhury’s Anuranon.”

Raima’s Calcutta connection might slow down now. “I plan to stay put in Mumbai and pursue my Hindi career. Otherwise producers get confused.”

Subhash K. Jha