Aparna Sen in Antaheen

She is a corporate high-flier and wife to her real-life husband (Kalyan Ray) in Antaheen. Aparna Sen tells t2 how she is similar to and also different from her character in the film...

You have returned to acting almost after seven years...

It’s because of the director (Aniruddha). He is pitching Antaheen as my comeback film and I don’t mind that. It’s only because of him. Actually I had never said that I wouldn’t do films, but maybe people think that I don’t want to act anymore so they don’t offer me any roles.

Would you like to act in films more often?

Yes, I don’t mind. I do get offers sometimes and I also reject roles. But the reason why I said yes to Antaheen was because I liked my role and I knew all the people involved with Antaheen. Shooting for the film was like a picnic. It was very pleasant. We had a ball!

How would you describe yourself in Antaheen?

I play Paromita, a corporate woman. She is the marketing director of a company. Paromita used to do photography but not anymore. She is married but doesn’t live with her husband. They are not divorced but they care for each other. I could identify with my character. I think Paromita and I belong to the same milieu. I mean one does identify with the characters one portrays on screen otherwise one can’t act.

You have directed Rahul Bose in three films. How was he as a co-actor?

It was nice. I don’t look at it differently. Though I have directed Rahul, it didn’t make much difference. I mean even Rahul is a director himself. I had put away the director’s hat while acting in Antaheen.

Is it difficult for a director to act in someone else’s film?

No, I don’t think it is difficult, not when like-minded people work together. I think it’s an advantage for a director to have a director as an actress in a film. Plus, if the actor has acted long enough, he/she has a better understanding of the character.

Your husband Kalyan Ray is acting with you for the first time...

Yes, and it’s a little daunting actually because he has great screen presence. Better than me! (Laughs)

Like Paromita, you too share a long-distance relationship with your husband...

No, Paromita and Ranjan’s (Kalyan) relationship is very different. My husband may live in America or wherever for long but we are still husband and wife. And we live together whenever Kalyan is here. While in the film, Paromita and Ranjan are separated though they love each other a lot. We live as husband and wife, we are not separated.