RITUPARNA SENGUPTA

I regret not doing Uttara and Bhalo Theko...

I couldn’t manage dates when I was offered Buddhadeb Dasgupta’s Uttara. And I was offered Vidya Balan’s role in Gautam Halder’s Bhalo Theko. I couldn’t do it as I was busy with other films. I wish I had done both films.

If I hadn’t been an actress, I would have been a teacher...

I had always wanted to be a teacher. I never thought of being an actress even in my wildest dreams. When I would see my teacher writing on the blackboard, explaining chapters, reading out stories, I would dream of doing the same some day.

I regret not going in for higher studies...

I was a very good student and I had enrolled for my Masters in history after graduating from Lady Brabourne College. But I couldn’t balance studies and films as I had already started acting then.

DEBASREE ROY

I regret not doing Nayakan with Kamal Haasan...

I was offered the lead role opposite Kamal Haasan. I regret it a lot. I had said no without even listening to the script. Actually I thought the language (Tamil) would pose a problem but later I heard that there weren’t too many dialogues.

I regret not being known as a classical dancer...

That’s something I really wanted to be. But acting happened. I tried to do something about it and formed my dance troupe Nataraj. I do shows now.

RAIMA SEN

I regret not being able to do Mohabbatein and Delhi Belly...

For Mohabbatein I had got a call from the Yash Raj studios. They wanted me to audition for the film. But I was too lazy to go for it. Now I feel that I should have gone for the audition at least. Ditto for Delhi Belly (an upcoming Aamir Khan film).

I regret doing plenty of films...

I know I have done films that I shouldn’t have done and there are plenty of such films. But now when I look back I feel that maybe I needed to do them to learn and be what I am today.

I regret not going for higher studies...

After my graduation with honours in English (from Rani Birla Girls’ College) my mother (Moon Moon Sen) wanted me to go for higher studies. But at that time I had no such intentions and besides I was already into acting so I was least interested. But now when I look back I sometimes feel that I could have been more attentive in class and gone in for higher studies. While in college I never used to read but now I read a lot.

PROSENJIT

I regret not doing Maine Pyar Kiya...

Sooraj Barjatya had offered me the film and even finalised it. But they wanted me to stay in Mumbai for six months for rehearsals and then live there for a year to shoot the film. I wasn’t ready for it at that time as I was already involved with other projects in Tollywood. Amar Sangi had released just then and it was a superhit. Plus, I wasn’t very sure of Maine Pyar Kiya because the Barjatyas were making small films during that time. It was also the time Tapas (Pal) did Abodh with Madhuri Dixit and the film didn’t do very well. So, I thought Maine Pyar Kiya too would end up as another small film and decided not to do it. Later, of course, I felt bad when the film became a superhit.

I regret not being able to pursue higher studies...

Sometimes I feel academics is very important. I was a good student too. But I had to shoulder family responsibilities at a very young age and so I couldn’t pursue higher studies. But I have also realised that a mere degree is not enough. We learn a lot through experience.

I wanted to be a film director...

More than an actor. But I don’t regret that because I know I am going to direct films soon. I have a long way to go.

I regret working in...

Hundred of the 300 films I have done till now. But I won’t name any of the films...

SWASTIKA MUKHERJEE

I regret doing Shankar Roy’s Criminal and Swapan Saha’s Greftaar...

I was paired opposite Bumbada (Prosenjit) in both the films. When the story of Criminal was narrated to me, I was told I had a pretty big role. When I saw the film I found my character entering just 10 minutes before the credits rolled. I was terribly upset as it was just the beginning of my career. In Greftaar, I had nothing to do. It’s one of those films which need heroines just for the sake of having an actress in the film.

A career I couldn’t pursue...

Is not exactly a career.... I was never very ambitious and I wanted to be a housewife. But I don’t harbour that dream anymore. I am happy that I am an actress.

I regret not going in for higher studies...

I still want to but I am so busy with films now. That is something I will always crib about.

SABYASACHI CHAKRABORTY

I regret not being able to do China Gate and Lagaan...

Rajji (Raj Kumar Santoshi) wanted to cast me in China Gate but later decided against it as he felt the role wouldn’t suit me. But that’s something I regret because the film had a lot of senior actors like Naseeruddin Shah and Om Puri. I could have learnt a lot from them. For Lagaan, Ashutosh (Gowariker) had called me to confirm my dates. I don’t know for which role. But then he too decided not to cast me.

I regret not being born at the right time...

Or else I could have played Feluda in Satyajit Ray’s Sonar Kella and could also have been part of Shaare Chuattor, which would have given me the opportunity to share screen space with an actor like Tulsi Chakraborty. I would have loved to work with Jahar Roy, Tulsi Chakraborty, Bikash Roy, Bhanu Bandopadhyay, Uttam Kumar…

I wanted to be someone else in life...

I had never planned to be an actor. I wanted to be either in the army, police or air force. Army didn’t happen because I couldn’t sit for the NDA exams for some reason. I didn’t qualify for the job of a fighter pilot because of my eyesight and also because I am 6ft tall and the criterion was 5ft 11 inches. And I couldn’t be a cop because my father didn’t want me to join the police.

INDRANI HALDER

I regret doing several bad films...

Which has only added to the number of films I have done. Though I have been very selective and tried to pick mostly sensible films, I have often slipped up and ended up in films that were not worth it.

I regret not doing the serial Debi...

T Sarkar Productions had offered me Debi and I turned it down. I regretted it later because T Sarkar made some very good films after that.

I regret not taking up the offers of TV serials in Mumbai...

That was when I was doing Maa Shakti for STAR Plus. I had offers from other channels but I turned them down. It was foolish of me. That’s why I have taken up Sujata. I am open to staying in Mumbai now.