Actress Koushani Mukherjee recalled her mother’s death — the most emotionally taxing event of her life — to portray the grief of clinically depressed Poorna in the upcoming Bengali film Killbill Society, director Srijit Mukherji said ahead of the film’s April 11 release in theatres.

“She used Stanislavski’s recall technique,” Sriji said during a chat with The Telegraph Online at Blue Mug Cafe in Kolkata.

“The episode of her mother’s death was possibly the lowest she has ever felt. She revisited those days to portray Poorna’s pain. That was very painful for her. But she did it brilliantly,” added the National Award-winning filmmaker.

Koushani, known for working in commercial films, is playing an emotionally-charged character for the first time with Killbill Society. But she surprised Srijit with her acting skills on the sets.

“Extremely good. And surprisingly good,” said Srijit about his experience working with the actor for the first time.

“I thought I’d have to put in a lot of effort, especially in terms of workshops and preparation. But the amount of work I had anticipated… I didn’t have to. She is a very sharp learner, a very hungry actor,” he added.

In Killbill Society, a sequel to his 2012 cult hit Hemlock Society, Koushani plays Poorna Aich — a woman whose world comes crashing down within the first 15 minutes of the film.

To portray that emotional collapse authentically, Srijit guided her through intense method acting exercises, including tapping into deeply personal memories.

While Killbill Society retains the pro-life, darkly comedic tone of Hemlock Society, Srijit says the emotional quotient — especially the love story — is stronger this time around. That made it crucial for the lead actress to experience a deep sense of loss and vulnerability. “Koushani comes from a happy, prosperous world in real life. To etch pain, she had to dig deep. And she did.”

Killbill Society, which takes inspiration from a chilling real-life episode in Angelina Jolie’s life, explores themes of despair, love, and redemption told through the unlikely lens of a society of contract killers.

Also starring Parambrata Chattopadhyay, Sandipta Sen, Biswanath Basu and Anindya Chatterjee, the sequel to 2012’s ‘Hemlock Society’ will release in theatres on April 11.