On a sun-struck afternoon in Tridhara, Devlina Kumar was not on a film set or stage, but barefoot in a familiar corner of south Calcutta — her dance studio, which is, in fact, a modest apartment just opposite the house she grew up in. Before we settle in for our chat, we visit the temple inside her family home. It’s quiet, fragrant with incense and jasmine, and in the soft shuffle of the moment, Devlina folds her hands before the idol of Goddess Jagaddhatri. Clad in a white cotton sari paired with a red blouse, her hair neatly tied in a bun, a hint of gold jewellery and a red bindi adding a festive touch — it almost felt as though we had caught her on a Puja morning. We crossed the street and entered her studio — the class is empty today, the wooden floors warm from the afternoon sun, cushions laid out casually. “Let’s sit,” she smiles, unhurried, settling onto a gadda. It’s from this floor-level perch that our conversation unfurls — about her latest role in Raas, her roots in classical dance, and the delicate blend of the sacred and cinematic that marks her journey.
In Raas, Devlina plays Rai — a grounded, introspective young woman who finds herself at the crossroads of longing and devotion. “She isn’t your typical romantic heroine. Rai is quiet, but not passive. She’s deeply rooted in her emotions, almost like a tree that won’t sway even in the strongest winds. And that steadiness — that inner stillness — was the hardest thing to perform. Especially when you yourself are full of movement.”
She laughs gently, drawing her knees close as if curling into a memory. The role was deeply influenced by Manipuri dance and Devlina’s decades of connection with dance — especially Manipuri and Rabindra Nritya — adds deeper resonance to her performance. “I’m a Manipuri dancer by training. My master’s is in Manipuri. We only worship Radha and Krishna — so I’ve always known the Raas dances by heart. This film gave me a chance to live them and it’s not a script that comes by often. It felt carved for me and my skill set, you know?” Her dance school, where she teaches Manipuri, folk and Tagore style of dance, turns 15 this year and her days are packed with rehearsals and promotions. She is also a professor at Rabindra Bharati.
Rai, is a “para’r meye” — a neighbourhood girl, not part of the central Chakraborty family that celebrates Raas every year, but someone who becomes intricately tied to the tradition. “She’s very simple and grounded, like I am. Just like Rai, I was very friendly with my neighbours while growing up. Like even now, only during Durga Puja when there are dozens of cameras around me, people realise I might be someone. They still see me as the little girl who grew up here! Rai is overenthusiastic, always smiling — even at strangers. She teaches dance to the kids in the local area, prepares them for the Raas Utsav, where love is expressed through dance and mythology.”
Rai’s world intersects with Somnath (played by Vikram Chatterjee), the grandson of the family patriarch, who returns after a long exile to the big city. The off-screen camaraderie with Chatterjee including their banter during promotions shows the friendly affection between their characters. “I think the friendship we built helped the romance feel real. Even the romance we share in the film is based on a friendship which also forms the foundation for my relationships in real life. Personally, I’m not a romantic person. I can’t do those greeting card things. I feel shy! My love language is mostly leg-pulling and saying bad things in a nice way,” she says.
“Tathada (Tathagata Mukherjee), our director, really gave a lot of care — I’m a stage performer, not used to the camera. He helped me find that balance. Vikram and Ranojoy, both of them very experienced actors — they were generous co-actors, especially in emotional scenes,” she said.
For Devlina, the decision to take it on was instinctive. “Last year, I didn’t do anything meaningful. Mainly because I didn’t get anything that I could really relate to,” she says with disarming honesty. “I have this problem where I need to vibe with either the story or the character — or even just the director. I think I vibed with the director on the very first day — the kind of idea he had for the film, and how he planned to approach it, with workshops and rehearsals. We did classes for almost two months. In fact, we used to have some of those workshops right here in this studio! For me, it started with getting into the character’s head. How does Rai think? What does her mind say? The dialect came later.”
Balancing it all is a feat — and being married to actor Gourab Chatterjee adds its own texture to daily life. “We talk about work, but not in a prescriptive way. I don’t ask him how to play a character, but we share experiences. Our approaches were quite different initially — I grew up on 1990s Bollywood, singing and dancing and flying saris. Gourab is more about calm intensity and Hollywood realism. But over time, it’s become a mutual exchange,” she laughs. So, how do they make time for each other? “Mostly coffee in the mornings and dinner on Sundays.”
Her days are full. “I wake up by six-thirty or seven. I’m the chef at home — I cook for Gourab. Then I hit the gym. After that, I’m available for work unless I’m on shoot. Recently, I’ve also started a YouTube channel around Tagore — everyday stories through his songs. I don’t want Gitanjali to be just a decorative piece in a showcase and the only work that the newer generation knows about. So, the channel is dedicated to increasing awareness about Tagore among kids.”
Despite being in the industry for nearly a decade, she remains self-critical. “I’m always sceptical of myself. I never feel I’ve done well enough. People have started saying I’ve done a decent job in Raas, but I’ll wait for the audience to say it. Rai is extremely relatable — not glamorous, just the girl next door.”
Even with that relatability, being in the public eye isn’t always easy — especially with her familial ties. During times when social media is raging, she shares her process of dealing with trolls. “I was born into a prominent family, and married into one too. The pressure was already there — I only doubled it. Trolling does affect me. I’d be lying if I said it didn’t. I do check what people are saying. But I’ve learnt to accept that I can’t change everything. Not everyone will like me. That’s okay. I can say that the way it did affect me initially, that is not there anymore.” Letting go, she adds, has brought her peace.
Up next, the actress will be seen in the Windows film Raktabeej 2 and Nazarbandi, where she plays a police inspector. Devlina Kumar made her debut nine years ago with Praktan, and since then, she has carefully carved out her space, choosing roles that resonate with her. Raas feels like a natural step in that journey — a story close to home, with a character that mirrors parts of who she is.
