Our friendship is in its teens now,’ quipped Ekavali Khanna when we met her at Rituparna Sengupta’s house, engrossed in an adda with the actress. In Suman Ghosh’s Friday release Puratawn, Khanna will be seen in a cameo, playing a psychiatrist who is a confidante to Rituparna Sengupta’s character. It is almost a real-to-reel translation of the friendship that the duo has shared in the last 13 years. Talking to t2, Khanna talked about her days on the sets of Puratawn, acting with Sharmila Tagore and her ‘puratawn’ friendship with Rituparna Sengupta.
How excited are you to see the film on the big screen on April 11?
I don’t think it is just me. Anyone who is a lover of Bengali cinema, someone who knows the magic of Sharmila Tagore, is looking forward to April 11 because she is phenomenal. The story is very special. It is an introspective, heartwarming and moving story and a universal story, but the language happens to be in Bangla. I am a part of the film, of course, and we have a beautiful scene together, and I am totally excited to see it on the big screen.
What was your experience of working with Sharmila Tagore in this film?
I am a fan first and then a co-actor. She is such a gracious and elegant person. Very appreciative. It was a breeze! It was like when you get a take right the first time, and you enjoy the interaction and talk in between the rehearsal and the take. There’s a beautiful ease that she has. I think it is that ease that I will always cherish. She is ‘the Sharmila Tagore’ and to enjoy those moments with her while working, I think, is a fabulous feeling for any actor.
What kind of conversations did you both indulge in?
We spoke about Nawabsaab because when I was a little girl, he and I travelled together on a flight. Of course, she spoke about our favourite Satyajit Ray. And he being my favourite, I immediately told her that her work with Satyajit Ray is something that no viewer can ever forget. She is so charming, eloquent and elegant. The way she takes compliments… it is always a fun conversation with her.
What do you enjoy about working with Suman Ghosh?
This is my third film with Sumanda. In the early stages of my career, I did two films with him, called Dwando and Aadhaar. So Sumanda is my comfort zone as an actor. What I value in him as a director is in the three films that I did with him, he has always cast me differently. In the first film, I was someone who is the heart of the party; in the second one, I played an IAS officer, and in this one, I play a psychiatrist. So, it feels great when a director feels you are capable of playing such diverse roles.
How was the shooting experience?
This production has a heart. They are very sweet people. I don’t work much in Bengali productions. Of course, these are my people and I love them and I have received a lot of love from them. I get a lot of warmth and affection, and that’s endearing. I want to say for the record that they are the best set. Outside Calcutta, it feels like a wedding sometimes but I love the Calcutta sets.
Your friendship with Rituparna Sengupta goes back a long way…
It is a puratawn friendship with her! (Laughs) The person that Ritudi is…she is so loving. I met her 13 years ago. We did a film called Khola Hawa together. We did it in 2012 and it was released in 2014 and now it is 2025, the love and affection has not changed! We are not friends who meet every day and hang out every day, but the connection is real. I have, of course, received a lot of love and affection from her, but I think more important than that is that she has always given me a pat on my back whenever I have done good work. And that is the real power of sisterhood.
Will this film hold a special place in your heart?
I have often been questioned that why do I agree to do cameos and small roles. For that, I have a very simple answer: when an important story is being made by a very skilled person who is capable of telling it beautifully and he or she is honouring me with the opportunity to be a part of that story, why would I say no? This film is special because it is a fabulous story and the fact that I have contributed in my own way is beautiful. In fact, in the context of the friendship that I share with Ritudi, even our track in the film is based on the emotions that in times of need or crisis, a real friend gives you strength and not sympathy. That is the emotion between Pritika and Gaurika, our characters in the film. It was a truthful experience playing out the character. People who know us or have seen us know that it is a real bond. She cares about me and my children, I care about her and her family. Whatever we share is genuine.
The Bengali cinema audience is sensitive, and they will finally get to see the film after its global appreciation.