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| Rituparna with Sohini at her Lake Gardens residence. Pictures: Pabitra Das |
Twelve years after they played boudi-nanad in Aparna Sen’s Paromitar Ekdin, Rituparna Sengupta-Sohini Sengupta are back as Rambhani and Kabita in Shiboprosad Mukhopadhyay-Nandita Roy’s Friday release Alik Sukh. In the film produced by Atanu Raychaudhuri and Windows, Sohini is Rituparna’s alter ego. A t2 chat with the two Senguptas.
Despite being good friends off screen, what took you so long to team up again on screen?
Sohini: Well, offers didn’t come our way. Honestly, I don’t get a lot of offers. And even if I get a few they are very stereotypical. After Ichche (2011), I was offered a mother’s role in a lot of films and I declined all of them. Besides, I am very happy doing theatre.
Rituparna: I had presented Ichche. And since both of us are very strong, independent, careerist women we thought if we come together on screen we will have to stun the audience! Our roles have to be very different, something that people will not forget easily. So we waited. I had a great working chemistry with Sohini in Paromitar Ekdin but I am also very intimidated by her.
Why?
Rituparna: I am scared of Sohini because Shibu (Shiboprosad) scared me saying that I have to share screen space with two heavyweights — Sohini and Debshankar Halder (plays Rituparna’s husband Kinshuk). Both are terrific theatre artistes!
Sohini: Really? Did Shibu actually say that?
Rituparna: Hyan! Shibu told me ‘You will be defeated by them’!
Sohini: What!? You should slap him! (Laughs) But having Ritu as my co-star again after so many years was a big help because I’m not a camera-friendly person. Stage acting is completely different. Ritu helped me with how to take the light, the right angle…
Rituparna: Sohini and I discuss a lot of personal stuff, though we don’t meet often. But whenever we meet we discuss things which are too personal. We hardly talk work.
Sohini: Yes, we share a lot of our personal problems.
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| Rituparna, Sohini and Shiboprosad at the t2 chat |
Tell us about your roles in Alik Sukh...
Rituparna: Well, Sohini plays my alter ego Kabita. She exists in my subconscious mind. It’s like Kabita is trapped in Rambhani’s (Rituparna) body. Rambhani goes through a very difficult phase in life. It’s Kabita who takes all her decisions and it’s even scarier because nobody believes what’s happening in Rambhani’s life. That Kabita has completely taken over is something that only Kabita and Rambhani know. It’s a very tricky situation and it was a very difficult role to play.
Sohini: To make it as convincing as possible, Shibu has at one point of time in the film even merged our voices. Rambhani starts talking like Kabita. Basically, Rambhani is Kinshuk’s wife. He is a doctor and Kabita is his patient who dies. After that the film becomes very psychological. Kabita may be a figment of Rambhani’s imagination, we don’t know. Kabita is an extension of Rambhani but she exists only in her mind.
Rituparna: In a way I am living my life but realising Kabita’s pain. Our emotions become similar. Alik Sukh is a very interesting film. For a very long time the audience won’t know if Rambhani is hallucinating or is it for real. It’s Rambhani’s battle to prove that something has gone wrong somewhere. Both are influenced by each other.
In real life, is there any woman who has really influenced you?
Sohini: Well, my mother (Swatilekha Sengupta) has influenced me in a big way.
Rituparna: My grandmother (Binapani Sengupta). She was a very progressive woman. She had made a radio all by herself.
Both of you are constant features in Shibu-Nandita’s films...
Sohini: (Laughs) Maybe because we are good actresses! I never say no to them because they offer me roles that I can’t say no to. Plus, they adjust with my theatre schedules. So it’s comfortable for me to work with them. For me, theatre comes first and then everything else. Shibu and Nanditadi respect that. Other directors offer me set roles because I look a certain way. See, because I’m on the heavier side, I can play only certain roles. Not every role.
Rituparna: Shibu and I go back a long way. We are a good team. When I heard the script of Alik Sukh I suggested to Shibu that he cast Sohini because she fit the bill.... There are a couple of other films too in which we will work together. Let’s hope Sohini and my chemistry in Alik Sukh works! The two women are the pillars of the film.
Sohini: Yes, we’ve crushed Debuda (Debshankar)! It’s a very interesting thing you know, on stage Debuda plays my husband. He was opposite me in Nachni and Madhabi, while in the film he plays Ritu’s husband. So we’ve kind of exchanged the husband!
Sohini, does Rituparna give you tips to lose weight?
(Shiboprosad joins the chat)
Shibu: No, then Sohini would have to survive on Kurkure and Coke!
Rituparna: Do you think I eat only that?!
Sohini: I want to lose weight not because of anybody else but because of me. In fact I’m trying to. I am hitting the gym, following a no-carb diet. But I cheat a lot!
Shibu: My next film is with Sohini. It’s the role of a weight-lifter. But the pace at which you are losing weight (turns to Sohini) I don’t think the film will ever happen! Jokes apart, Ritu and Sohini are the best. I love them as actresses. Alik Sukh is about Sengupta vs Sengupta, I think people will be keen to see ke kakey tekka dichhey!
