At the t2 photo shoot in designer duo Dev and Nil’s Remount Road studio, this didn’t seem the same Satarupa Pyne we knew.  Didn’t she smile more? Look more confident and sure of where she was headed? What had changed for her in the last couple of years in Mumbai? Besides the big Bolly break of course (shhhh!). The 26-year-old opened up to t2...

We are meeting you after a long time! Do you miss Calcutta at all? 

I miss everything about Calcutta. I know how I started…. I miss that comfort zone. It’s hard to recreate. Mumbai is cut-throat and professional. That city has taught me one thing… if you sit back and crib, there are too many things that you can crib about. So, I don’t give myself that option. I try to get ambitious. The happiness that I get when I come to Calcutta… in fact I see a lot of difference in the way I smile. Whenever I am on that plane to Mumbai, I try to locate my house! 

You know, there have been occasions when people  disrespected where I was coming from, when I started out in Calcutta. That hurt. Now everyone is proud of me. I did not know how to pose. I just remember Shonal Rawat (Unish Kuri Glam Hunt mentor) twisting my hand in anger to make it perfect! I was embarrassed, but when I had learnt it, I did not give anyone any opportunity to point out any flaw.   

From Barasat to Mumbai, tell us about your flight… 

I was impulsive. It was now or never. If I were to sit back and plan, it would never have happened. I would have had 1,000 options of why not to go. So, one fine day, I just left. I wanted to see why this thought of being in Bombay and trying something new was coming to me. Why Mumbai and not any other city? 

Modelling in Mumbai is a different ball game altogether. Did you take that chance because you wanted to break out of that comfort zone?

Yeah, actually I wanted to. Not that I was looking to detach myself completely from Calcutta. Since 2010, I had worked extensively in Calcutta with almost every designer possible and touchwood, I was lucky… with good shoots. What was happening was I knew what was coming up next… it was becoming predictable and monotonous. I wanted to make it big nationally too. I wanted to test my potential. And trust me, I did not have Bollywood in mind when I left. I didn’t want to have too many expectations when I left.

You didn’t think you could act may be?

I knew I could kill it with a shoot, but had no confidence in front of the moving camera… but it was destiny. I used to play volleyball and I have always had this sportsman spirit of taking up the challenge of doing something that you think you cannot do. 

Were you happy with the kind of work you were getting because when we met you last year, you did not look too happy…     

I wasn’t actually! It started very slowly and that was worrying me a lot. I was pampered in Calcutta. I did not expect that pampering, but it can be unsatisfying. I was very patient for six months. It was like creating your identity all over again. You can do nothing about it. I was being a professional. You have to respect what they are saying. That’s a big lesson. Use your ego positively. When Lakme Fashion Week happened (where t2 met her), I wasn’t that unsatisfied because things were going smoothly, but the real turning point were a few TVCs, which helped. When you are placed somewhere where you don’t expect to be, then you think of doing something really big. That’s what motivated me. When I did not win Glam Hunt, I believed that I could be the top model of this freaking city. You should wait for the right time. 

What were you working on in Mumbai during these two years?

I took up everything that came my way. You have to survive. The rent is high. You have too much of an ego to ask your parents for money. My parents have always encouraged me but you cannot help it if you don’t like asking for money from them. It was a ‘herey jaowa’ kind of a feeling. And, I did not want that kind of a feeling. I saved money and then may be acted a little pricey. 

We’ll soon see you in a big-ticket film (watch this space for more on that). What has this movie done to your career? How important is this moment for you?

Very important. This is my turning point. You must grab it. This has happened at the right time. I have struggled for two years. This was my sixth audition for a film where somebody gave me a hint of hope out of nowhere and made me believe that there is something else that might happen if you act wisely and your confidence shows at the right time. And honestly, I did not want to miss this opportunity. Winning your final match is so crucial and despite being a very good player, you cannot help but feel nervous. You better deliver. Forget what you were doing for so many years. You have to fit in. Confidence is the key. If you work on a film with five other girls, you realise how hungry they are. 

How much is riding on this film?

Having no expectations is the cleverest thing to do as of now. You can hope for the best. You have done the best. I always think I have done my best. Now whether it works or doesn’t work, doesn’t matter. The next opportunity I get, I will give my 100 per cent. I don’t know what’s coming up. It’s too early to be too happy, but I am very happy (with my effort).  

So, it’ll be Bollywood for you?

Yes, that’s the place. The first film has given me immense hope. 

What would be your tips for all the girls who aspire to make it big in Mumbai?

My only advice to them would be, don’t be overambitious. Give yourself a lot of time. Be confident when you know you are the best. Don’t be overconfident when you know you have to improve. And please don’t be desperate. Never react. I have had my share of disappointments, but I never reacted.

 

Star sign: Libra… and I have 20 per cent of Virgo in me.
First break: Finalist at Unish Kuri Glam Hunt ’08.
First national ramp walk: For Dev R Nil at Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week in 2010. 
Her kind of man: Not hot, but good. I cannot handle men who are too hot! They cannot get over themselves.  
Relationship status: I am so single. I am always in love… (laughs). I don’t have time for love and relationships but then you cannot plan it, can you? The one which lasted, made me halt for quite a while… nearly eight months (laughs). It’s a big achievement! (Laughs) 
Dream man: Richard Gere.