In an exclusive interview with Zoom, legendary actress Sharmila Tagore reflects on her deep connection to Bengali cinema and her latest project, Puratawn. After a long hiatus from the genre, she discusses her recent work, accolades, and the themes of ageing explored in the film.
Excerpts from the interview
You’ve completed a Bengali film?
Yes, Puratawn it is directed by Suman Ghosh. I think it will be released end of January. But MAMI is having a screening at their festival on the 21st of this month. It had a screening in Washington. They got the best film in Washington. And I got the best actress. And then it was shown in Boston.
ALSO READ: Sharmila Tagore Remembers Industrialist Ratan Tata: Feel Privileged To Have Known Him | Exclusive
You haven’t been seen in Bengali cinema for a long time?
Yes, my last Bengali film was fourteen years ago Antaheen. And Puratawn is on ageing. So it's nice.
Speaking of Bengali cinema I was watching Satyajit Ray’s Mahanagar, and I wondered why you were not in it.
He knew what he was doing. I think he wanted a little more maturity in the heroine’s character at that stage. But I could have done Charulata. In fact, he had shared the idea with me.
Really? Charulata! No one knows this! Then what happened?
I don’t know. But something happened. But she (Madhabi Mukherjee) did it very well. She was wonderful. And, it's such a beautifully directed film. But yes, Manikda gave me the short story, And then something happened during Mahanagar. We all know what happened. So it's okay. But I was back with his Aranyer Din Ratri.
I am stunned to hear you could have been Charulata!
He gave me a short story to read. And then he said we will talk about it. Then something happened. But anyway, it was a very good film. She was good at it.