What did you have in mind for the shoot?
First of all, you can say this is my gift for TT! (Laughs) Also, this is an attempt to give people a glimpse of a day in my life when I am not working. Say, a Sunday with Swastika, which is all about relaxing. I love my Sundays and absolutely don’t like working on one. Currently, I am working on a mega serial (Tomar Khola Hawa; Zee Bangla), and I am blessed to be with a production house where I have my weekend off. My film Fatafati has just been released and a lot of my Sundays are now about catching up with the audience who are coming to watch our film, during hall visits, and I am loving this experience.This shoot is, however, about me, when I am at home on a Sunday. I am first an actor and secondly, a model, though I started as a model. We are in such a profession where there is a lot of competition and if you are out of sight, you are out of mind. Social media plays an important role. When I started navigating the social media space, say around 12-13 years back, the concept of posting as per insights wasn’t there. I think I am still in that era! (Laughs) Though my team keeps pushing me to do many things, I decide for myself. I follow everyone in the Bengali film industry and I admire them a lot for what they are doing, but I like doing things at my own pace.
I handle my own social media because I like interacting with those who follow me. Overall, I have kept it simple. Obviously, glam pictures will get you more likes. I am glam in front of the camera but I like to keep it natural when I am not shooting. This photoshoot reflects that and is a lot about who I really am. I am sceptical as to what extent people or social media would like these, but I feel they should know me and accept me for who I am.
The monochromes look lovely...
I am a black-and-white person. Did you know, if you post black-and-white pictures, you lose followers?! I didn’t even know that! But, I love it. Overall, I wanted to keep it simple and summery. I love baggy clothes because they feel so comfortable.
This picture defines the vibe of the shoot. No-fuss and simply being Swastika!
Keeping fit is a priority and Swastika’s Sundays are a lot about selfcare.
(Left) Swastika likes stepping out for a cup of tea with her friends on a Sunday. And the cotton dress and easy styling fits right in with the mood. (Right) Black-andwhite is a mood. And, Swastika channels it perfectly with a degree of nonchalance
What do you like most about Sundays?
Sundays are for lazing around. I want to feel like a free bird on a Sunday. This is more about what a free bird does on a Sunday. It is also about taking care of myself, giving my body rest and washing away all the negativity of the week.
Your career seems all set to soar higher. Many congratulations!
I am on cloud nine, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16! For Fatafati (where she plays a popular model called Biki Sen), I lost nearly eight-nine kilos.
It was a challenge I took up, which is now running successfully.I just want to work. I don’t know what is going to happen in the next six months or going further ahead. I cannot plan, be it a vacation or my career. I am a poor planner. So, I will take things as they come. It is also the responsibility of the industry to utilise my talent. So, it’s vice versa.
Creative director: Sourabh Basu
Hair and make-up: Sonam Jaiswal
Styling: Neel Saha