What is inhibition-free? Paoli Dam feels it is all in the mind. t2 caught up with the actress in a no-holds-barred chat at The Park before the release of Kamaleswar Mukherjee’s Khawto, where her passion play with Prosenjit is definitely inhibition-free. 

Khawto is about love, lust, passion, infidelity, betrayal... phew!

Very bold! I don’t think a subject this bold has been handled in Bengali films before. And for the first time everybody will see a hot and bold Bumbada (Prosenjit)! (Laughs)

How did you like this hot and bold Bumbada?

Very nice! He has two different looks and he is fabulous. Basically, Khawto is about a writer, played by him, and his muse, which is me.

Was it easier to do an erotic thriller like Khawto since you had some exposure in this genre with films like Hate Story? 

Hate Story was extremely high in eroticism. The genre of the two films is the same but the premises are different, the characters are different. 

Getting into the bathtub with Prosenjit in Khawto... was it easy or awkward?

Getting intimate with any actor on screen isn’t easy. But I have been working with Bumbada since long. We’ve done Moner Manush. I just finished shooting Mahanayak (TV series for STAR Jalsha), Srijit Mukherji’s Zulfiqar. I had done a film called Bangla Banchao with him a couple of years ago. So, there is already a comfort zone. But definitely the intimate sequences in Khawto weren’t easy initially. We would end up laughing and giggling. The entire team would laugh with us during the shoot. 

See, while shooting for any intimate scene there is always an awkwardness but when the director says, ‘Roll, camera, action’, an actor forgets everything and becomes the character. That moment an actor will never think of anything else but the character. With Bumbada, I am so comfortable that the awkwardness was manageable. We hardly gave any NG (not good) shots! (Giggles) And the Khawto outdoor in Keonjhar was a lot of fun. All of us would party every night... 

There’s a scene where you are on top of Prosenjit and your back is bare. It’s like deja vu as there was such a scene in Hate Story too...

Oh in fact even Bumbada had said so. He told me, ‘This is Paoli’s signature pose. You own it’! And I said, of course it’s mine! (Laughs)

And every time you make it look so real. How? 

See, when I am in front of the camera, I forget that I am Paoli. I just concentrate on the character. I am not self-conscious. I am very confident of what I am doing. And if I am a part of an erotic thriller, these moments will be there na? To make the sex scenes look real is the skill of an actor. The trick for any actor while doing an intimate scene is to not think of it as a sex scene but to just think of it as any other scene in front of the camera. Every scene, intimate or otherwise, must look spontaneous. Too much thought makes it look mechanical, tacky and false. And these scenes don’t have to be perfect. Sometimes imperfection also works. 

Do you think you are very good in passionate moments on screen?

Yes, and I am an emotional and passionate person off screen (laughs). I have not thought about it the way you are putting it though! (Laughs) My directors will be able to say if I am good in passionate sequences or not. But yeah, I am a passionate person and maybe it helps.

What goes on in your mind while shooting an intimate scene? Do you chew gum?

Body odour or bad breath is something that cannot be rectified on the set. It’s basic hygiene that you are always aware of. More than these, an actor must concentrate on what the camera angle is and what the director wants.

Give a few tips to other actors on how one can look beautiful and bold in an intimate scene...

Inhibition-free is not just being able to do bold scenes, it’s more about the mindset. The mind of an actor has to be like a clean blackboard, ready to absorb anything the script wants. Also, no amount of preparation before a bold sequence helps. One should be very clear about the character graph.

Some actresses aren’t comfortable doing smooching scenes because they often watch their films with their parents. Are your parents liberal about your choices?

Very. My dad loves trekking, my mom is a very good singer and culturally very aware. They have always supported me. They always wanted me to be an actress. They watch my films....

Will you show Khawto to your boyfriend Arjun?

Of course he will watch it.

Apart from you, who do you think can pull off a bold and sensual scene in Tollywood?

Given a chance, everyone. Ritudi (Rituparna Sengupta), Swastika (Mukherjee) have done it.

Do you like watching erotic films? 

I like watching all kinds of films and there are a lot of erotic films that I like. Damage, Basic Instinct, Fatal Attraction, Monster’s Ball. Halle Berry was so good in Monster’s Ball. I also enjoy watching action films. And I love rom coms.

What appeals to you about an erotic film?

I love the way the film progresses. More than eroticism, I like the thrill element, hence the plot is very important. How the plot unfolds is what grips the audience... how the characters are placed and the relationship they have. There has to be an element of suspense. More than erotica, erotic thriller is interesting.

Picture: Pabitra Das
Location: The Park
Stylist: Neha Gandhi
Make-up: Aniruddha Chakladar
Jewellery: The Bling Story