Swastika on the sets of Tollywood Focus. Picture by Aranya Sen

The spotlight is on tinsel town again, after Arjun Chakraborty’s Tolly Lights. Manas Basu’s peek into the glamorous lives of actors is called Tollywood Focus, starring Swastika Mukherjee and Amitabh.

The film revolves around the strained love affair between an actress (Swastika) and a film director (Amitabh).

“I could relate to the character when Manas narrated the script to me. Ananya is a heroine and yet a simple girl. She continues to love her man despite facing a lot of troubles. Although my life isn’t remotely close to Ananya’s, I could relate to the fact that she is an actress and is still very grounded,” says Swastika, whose earlier film with Basu, Rudra, failed to make a mark at the box office.

But Swastika is optimistic about Tollywood Focus for several reasons. “First, Manas has become a lot more focused in his work. Besides, the film is very real. Ananya is a flesh-and-blood character and the film industry serves as an interesting backdrop. Plus, there’s a thriller element which will make the film even more watchable,” she adds, with a secretive smile.