Rituparna and Paoli’s selfie moment in between the t2 chat at Paris Cafe, Ballygunge. Pictures: Rashbehari Das

 

Actresses can never be friends, goes the saying. Rituparna Sengupta and Paoli Dam are not friends. But they came together for Sanjoy Nag’s Parapaar, which hits screen today. A t2 chat...

While you are pouting and taking selfies together now, the buzz is there was a cold war between you on the sets of Parapaar...

Paoli: We didn’t have any scenes together. Besides, I was just too concerned about my character Urmila while shooting, so I couldn’t pay attention to anything else. Urmila is not an easy role to play.

Rituparna: We hardly had any chance to interact...

Paoli: We didn’t get the chance; we just had one montage song sequence together...

Rituparna: Which was included after my request. I told Sanjoyda (Nag) to include a sequence where we can both be together, because I felt that would add value.

But you were not really on talking terms, isn’t it?

Rituparna & Paoli in unison: No!

Paoli: We would talk whenever we met, not otherwise. I don’t have friends in the industry. I have only a few friends and they are not part of Tollywood. The more Ritudi gets to know me, she will realise what a crazy girl I am! (Laughs)

Rituparna: I had invited her, she didn’t come…

Paoli: Where? Oh, your birthday?

Rituparna: Birthday and also to the premiere of Pati Parameshwar.

Paoli: You invited me to the premiere at the last moment. I went to watch some other film. I make it a point to buy tickets and watch films. I never attend premieres. The condition of the Bengali film industry isn’t good, so it’s important to buy a ticket and watch a Bengali film rather than watching it for free at the premieres!

Will you buy a ticket and watch Pati Parameshwar?

Paoli: Yes, I will. I seriously couldn’t make it to her birthday. But I got pink roses for the pink lady who is forever young (turns to Rituparna) on a promotional shoot the other day.

Which is the last Rituparna film you watched and liked?

Paoli: I have watched all her films. I liked her in Swet Patharer Thala.

Rituparna: Pleeeassse! (Laughs out loud)

Paoli: Why not?

Rituparna: Swet Patharer Thala?!

Paoli: Because you always say that you liked me only in Kalbela!

Rituparna: But in Kalbela you had put up a very mature performance. While doing Swet Patharer Thala, I hardly knew anything. It was my first film.

Rituparna, how would you rate Paoli as an actress on a scale of 10?

Rituparna: She is a very good actress. She has done very well in Parapaar.

Paoli: Thank you. See, I also loved her in Dahan and Paramitar Ekdin. I wanted to mention a different name, so I said Swet Patharer Thala. Ritudi is brilliant, a National Award winner.

 

At the beginning of my career, I only played a weak woman. Arm candy of the heroes in all Swapan Saha films! — Rituparna

Oh yes, I want to play a glam girl, please ask directors to offer me a role like that! — Paoli

When you do a film with another equally strong female actress, what are the parameters by which you judge the script?

Paoli: I feel very good. A film is teamwork. It’s not about how good or bad I have acted in a film, it’s about how good or bad every actor does in a film. A film should be good in totality, so whether there’s another equally strong actress in the film should not bother me. It is a plus to have another strong actress in a film. You perform better.

Rituparna: I have always acted with a lot of actresses. If you don’t have a proper co-actor, your reactions too suffer. Stronger co-stars make for wonderful films.

Tell us about your characters in Parapaar…

Paoli: I play Urmila, a character with a lot of contradictions, which makes her very interesting. Lots of incidents happen in her life. In Parapaar there are issues which are relevant in today’s time, which Sanjoyda has portrayed very well. I loved playing Urmila because it wasn’t easy at all. She is very modern despite her rural background.

Rituparna: I play Damini. She is the man in her family, calm and composed, a mother of two kids. She copes with the fact that her husband is accused of rape; she takes it in her stride and moves on. It was difficult because I didn’t know how Damini would react when she gets the news of her husband being accused of rape. So In Parapaar, it’s about two women, one who has been raped and the other who lives with a rapist, she is a passive sufferer.

Did you at any point feel that the other female character is stronger than yours?

Rituparna: See, both the women have their own strengths. But Damini’s strength lies in a different level. Urmila goes through a lot, but Damini puts up with a husband who is a rapist. I am sure there are women who accept their husbands who disrespect women in some way or the other. But I haven’t come across any such woman, so it was really difficult.

Paoli: I feel all the four characters (played by Rituparna, Paoli, Bratya Basu and Rubel) are very strong because Sanjoyda himself is a very strong director. And definitely Urmila is very strong but she is weak too, and that’s what makes her so real.

Rituparna: Sob bole dili (you have said it all), will people watch the film?! I never felt that I could play Urmila better. But I definitely feel that Sanjoyda could have done more with Damini.

Paoli: I couldn’t have played Damini at this point. Damini is a mother of two kids and nobody would offer me that role. Mother roles can wait for another 10 years. I couldn’t have portrayed that maturity or the look in her eyes at my age. I loved playing Urmila and I am very happy with my character.

Paoli, of late we’ve seen you in deglamourised roles, and Rituparna you are playing the strong woman in far too many films. Don’t you want to play a glamour girl and a weak woman sometimes?

Paoli: Oh yes, I want to play a glam girl, please ask directors to offer me a role like that!

Rituparna: At the beginning of my career, I only played a weak woman. Arm candy of the heroes in all Swapan Saha films!

Kushali Nag
Who will you watch Parapaar for: Rituparna or Paoli? Tellt2@abp.in