Rrishii with Swarnakamal

Pretty Pauli Dam is supposed to be ugly duckling Purnima in the Chitrabani-produced romcom Mullickbari. But in a short wig, glasses and black chiffon sari teamed with netted full-sleeved blouse, Pauli ended up looking quite stunning on the sets of a wedding sequence.

“When I was offered the role, I was told that I needed to look bad. But I think I am looking very stylish in this sari,” laughed Pauli, who is paired opposite Kanchan Mullick in the film.

Steered by Chitrabani’s creative director Anirban Chakrabarty and director PJ Joseph, Mullickbari has three different tracks running parallel. “It’s about three tenants who come to live in Mullickbari and each has a story to tell. The first is a suspense thriller with Biswajit and Kharaj Mukherjee, the second is about the underworld with Ritwick Chakraborty and Rimjhim Mitra, and the third is a romantic comedy with Pauli, Kanchan, Swarnakamal and Rrishii Kaushik. The common link for the three stories is Supriya Chowdhury, who is the landlady of Mullickbari. And also Bibhu Bhattacharya; he is the agent who gets her the tenants,” says Anirban.

Pauli with Kanchan. Pictures by Aranya Sen

In the third story, Pauli and Kanchan fall in love after talking over the phone. They decide to meet but since both suffer from low self-esteem, they send their friends Swarnakamal and Rrishii instead, who hit it off. “The two finally meet at their friends’s wedding and confess their love for each other,” smiled Pauli.

Mullickbari is slated to release in August.