Oone an actor, the other an activist. The actor is a bit of an activist himself. And the activist is a film-maker in her own right. Riddhi Sen and Mahima Varma, have just turned 18. t2 caught up with the two New Adults on the pangs and pleasures of adulthood. ‘No diplomacy’ was the only condition.
Were you guys waiting to turn 18?
Riddhi: I was not, but at the same time I was! Eighteen holey ektai shubhidhey… that stamp that you get. Of course, you don’t need to be 18 to prove certain things. But if you pass any political comments before your turn 18, you get a lot of flak. I rejected an award by the government for which I had to hear a lot of criticism. It was my personal decision. Dude, I don’t want to!
The best part is I can go to the movies! The major crisis was that the last three movies (Children of War, Chauranga and yet-to-be-released Parched) I did were A-certified. I shot every bit of it, but I am not allowed in the theatres!
Mahima: I have always wanted to drive, but no one would teach me! The night before my 18th birthday I called up my driver and told him to get me a driving permit!
And now you can vote!
Riddhi: Exactly! I was so upset that this time my birthday fell on the day of the results. And I couldn’t vote! It was so frustrating! I kept telling myself that I would vote in the Lok Sabha elections. I am itching to vote. A very close friend…
She or he?
Riddhi: She (smiles)… voted and I couldn’t! But I love this age. There are confusions and still a lot of teenage emotions as well as being a little more mature than I was. The Boxer’s (Simon & Garfunkel) lines sums it up for me: Now the years are rolling by me/They are rocking easily/I am older than I once was/And younger than I’ll be/But that’s not unusual.
Was there a build-up to that magic moment?
Riddhi: Not really. I am boring. I don’t really celebrate my birthdays, but this time my friends forced me because I was turning 18. It was a close get-together.
Mahima: My friends were in my room at midnight to surprise me. Then they blindfolded me and brought me downstairs. There were two singers singing these old Hindi songs and a red carpet!
I think the last year has been the build-up to my birthday. With my movie (a 10-minute short film, Kolkata: My Heartbeat, shot on iPhone 6) and Girls for Tomorrow (an initiative to empower girls of which Mahima is the co-founder), there was a change in the way people were looking at me. The change has been a gradual evolution in the last year where I have evolved as a person. I have been dealing with a very sensitive issue like rape and talking about why empowerment is necessary. I don’t think anyone actually looked at my age and said I shouldn’t be addressing these issues.
Was there a moment of realisation?
Riddhi: Not for me!
Mahima: It was three days later when I was trying to buy tickets for Udta Punjab… they said I needed an ID. I was like: ‘Oh no! What am I going to do now?!’ I was stressing out and told mamma (Malika Varma, franchisee, Kangaroo Kids) and Saumya (elder sister) that I won’t be allowed in. They were looking at me weirdly!
Does 18 feel different?
Riddhi: I don’t feel different. The way my parents (actors Koushik and Reshmi Sen) have brought me up, I have been exposed to a lot. The friends or the close people I had in my life never considered me to be a teenager. I have always felt that if you want to say something you need not be 18, but it was a tough war. I was told many times, ‘Beshi pakamo koro na!’
Riddhi, were you always considered paka?!
Riddhi: Always! (Laughs)
Did you become 18 before you actually turned 18?
Mahima: Oh! I always thought I was older than I actually am. I always found it ridiculous as to why I wasn’t given a credit card or why I cannot enter a movie.
Riddhi: I had this debit card till 18. I could only withdraw Rs 1,000. So, it was actually a kid’s shopping card.
Mahima: I just wanted to keep it in my wallet, not even to use it.
Are your parents dealing with you differently?
Riddhi: Not at all. It’s just a state of mind. I did my first stage performance when I was three-and-a-half. The play was in a certain dialect and I was always correcting my seniors! I watched my first adult movie when I was six or seven I guess… Parzania. As long as it is not vulgar and doesn’t have any repression, my parents were fine with it. If you are worried about exposure to sexuality and violence, the more you try to stop it, it would breed more repression. You A-certify a movie, but you get to watch porn on your mobile!
Mahima: If I watched Udta Punjab today or a month ago or 10 days later, I would react the same way. Age doesn’t make a difference. Udta Punjab scared me. A film with such a strong social message… why would you not allow the youth to watch it?!
Riddhi: You have to see what are you censoring. It cannot be one person’s perspective. It’s reaching a point of personal vendetta. And you are saying that our country is democratic!
Was sex ever a taboo topic? And now that you have turned 18, are things different?
Mahima: My mother sat me down and spoke to me about it long time ago, when I was turning 12. They’d rather that I hear it from them than others. Watching porn has not even crossed my mind. My first drink was with them, a couple of years ago. They want to know how much I can take. The reason I am being able to address the issue of rape is because I have been told that it is okay to talk about rape, that it is an evil and it is not the girl’s fault.
Riddhi: Say I am in a mall with my mom and I spot a good-looking girl, I tell her. It’s not for show. I am actually very frank with my parents. I am comfortable with my mom, but of late, I have opened up to my dad as well. Things he has told me will be with me for the rest of my life. The family really matters.
What about night stays and sleepovers? Were they allowed?
Riddhi: For me it was always okay. My parents never questioned whose house I was staying in! I gained that trust…
Mahima: Most of the sleepovers happen in my house. Then mom takes us for a drive at 2am and once in a while we do this dhaba chai… it’s a lot of fun. What’s changed is that now I am going to college (Duke University) and she won’t be able to do a background check! (LOL)
Are you more comfortable with older people around?
Riddhi: I had this crisis till I was 16. Eighty per cent of my friends were elder to me by 10 years or even more! The first close person I got in my life, who was elder to me, as a friend was Anjan Dutt, when I was doing Galileo (the play). I was 15. He exposed me to my first wine. He has always told me that during rehearsals if a senior is going wrong, go up to him and tell him, and there is nothing wrong in it. I cannot explain how happy I was.
Nowadays, I hang around with people my age like Rwitobroto (actor Shantilal Mukherjee’s son who was a part of Open Tee Bioscope and Kahaani). We are childhood buddies, friends for 14 years. Recently, I got acquainted to Rajarshi (Nag; Open Tee Bioscope). He is the discovery in my life! I should mention Surangana (Open Tee Bioscope) also. She has really opened up now. I am personally enjoy hanging out with my age group now. When I was 15-16, I used to a have a soft corner for hanging out with 28-year-olds. Now that I am an adult, I enjoy the teenage emotions. It’s okay not to figure out everything in life. Birdman helped me a lot. I just got more balanced.
You must have fallen in love with a lot of older women?!
Riddhi: Many times. Crush!
Now you have a crush on someone your age?
Riddhi: Exactly! I am trying to search for my relationship status for the last one-and-a-half years. I am confused. We have this immense soft corner for each other… to be or not to be. I am still discovering. It’s complicated. It’s a Peter Parker situation. Love is complicated.
Are you sure it is love?
Riddhi: It is more than infatuation and less than love. I am enjoying it.
What about you, Mahima?
Mahima: I had a big group in school. I love my mother’s friends. I wouldn’t give up on either.
Boyfriends?
Mahima: Hasn’t happened. If it does, it does. Let’s see. No rush!
Do you think being 18 was different for your parents?
Mahima: My mom was quite the 18-year-old. (Laughs) She was in La Martiniere for Girls in Class XI and XII. There were these parties and going out and sneaking out of the house, things I have never even imagined doing! She is cooler at 40 than I am at 18. My naani (kantha revivalist Shamlu Dudeja) has the best social life!
Riddhi: I don’t think there is any difference between the old and new generation. Life was probably easier but I am talking about the mentality and perspective… things which were prevalent then are prevalent now. The competition has gone up.
Mahima: The pressure is insane.
Riddhi: It helps you push yourself.
What do you love and hate about turning 18? Tell t2@abp.in
