Rupsha Guha has completed 15 years in the film and TV industry. Having shot for a film for a national OTT platform recently, she is now busy pursuing her passion for writing. A chat with Rupsha...

You are also writing scripts and short stories now. Tell us about that. What are the subjects? How did you develop this interest?

Stories come to me from observing people... the rest is a figment of my imagination. A lot of what I am writing is biographical, sometimes even autobiographical, much like a script I am working on called Feroz. I wish to see it play out someday when the time is ripe. I have written many short stories... sometimes it’s the height and depth of an idea, not the length. I am also developing another story which should strike a chord with the youth. The base of each is pure human drama. I wish to become a part of people’s stories and tell my own.

How do you look back on the journey of 15 years?

It has always been about the journey and not the destination and I look back on that with great amazement and humility. I feel blessed that my passion is my obsession and my job. It feels wonderful that so many characters chose to articulate themselves through me. I have evolved with them.

What are your memories from the first shoot?

After my board exam I was called for an audition and my first break was for a telefilm where I was cast opposite actors like June and Kushal Chakraborty who made it very comfortable for me to work in front of the camera. I had no idea initially that facing the camera was such a demanding job. Most of my preconceived notions about the glitz and glamour came crashing down. I understood that I have to measure up to the hard work and commitment being put in by everyone around me.

For you, what are the high points of these 15 years?

I have evolved as an artiste in these years. Some of the highest points in my career was my first big break with Ravi Ojha Productions, an institution in itself that has churned out some amazing actors and directors. The second is my Hindi film called Chaalis Chauraasi where I was cast with Naseeruddin Shah. Another notable and memorable experience was sharing screen space with Girish Karnad. I featured in a Canadian Ora X Google ad film when I was in Vancouver. I lived there for some time.

If you could travel back in time, would you have done anything differently for your career?

It is easy to comment on many things in the past from the vantage of the present. I have always believed that whatever happened to me was adequate. In most cases I would probably have taken similar decisions. Those 15 years have been like observation and education.

How important is it to play the waiting game to bag good projects?

As an artiste I need constant practice to develop my craft. So, the aspect of waiting cannot be without measure. However, as a thumb rule, I would rather give time to develop a project thoroughly, than wait for a project for a long time and then finish it quickly. One cannot really pour from an empty cup. I have used the periods of gestation to update and upgrade myself to contribute better.

You also shot for a web film for a national OTT platform recently. How was the experience?

It was a fun experience doing this web film. The character was far removed from me.That made it more exciting, it’s about this distraught actress all out there to hog the limelight after her friend’s demise. Comedy is something I thoroughly enjoy for life itself is a comedy, it is always hitting you over the head with the unexpected. Before the lockdown we thought a career in films was so uncertain. During the lockdown we realised how comparatively certain it was in relation to the present. Which means life is always uncertain. It’s the relative assessment of uncertainties which make us create binaries like certainty and uncertainty. The sooner we accept that the easier it would be to deal with that precarity. So keep smiling and see the whole world smile with you.