The Parallel Paradise

A starry walk on the moon & a grounded stroll on earth; life is good for internationally acclaimed actor Tannishtha Chatterjee

Somehow,Indian cinema wouldn’t have been able to do justice to her. At least,not initially for there is something about Tannishtha Chatterjee. Something that just won’t fit the wet saree,rain dance routine. Nor would it adjust to the head spinning rounds around the trees. Come to think of it,she just may choke in a choli. Maybe that’s why the NSD pass-out after trying her stints with Mumbai and Delhi,acting and theatre,moved out. “Nothing was planned,just a conscious choice to work in different cultures for I’ve always been a traveller. My father was working with a Japanese company and we went all over the world,and now,I flit between New York,London and India,” says the princess of parallel cinema who made waves with Swaraj (2003),Shadows of Time,Bombay Summer,Brick Lane,and for being nominated along with Anne Hathaway and Dame Judi Dench. “That was something,” she still pinches herself for landing in this unbelievable moment of glory. “I’ve always been in awe of Judi and Zora Sehgal. These are women who can walk up the stage and sing,‘’abhi to main jawan hoon.” Amidst the conversation,we realise that it’s this quality of making people at ease and enjoying every bit that makes Tannishtha a misfit in Bollywood. “Courtesy the international projects,I am sorta invisible here…I can be anyone,and love the fact that I can go to cafe and have my tea,watch Avatar at a theatre and the next second glam up for a red carpet event!” Tannishtha relishes this parallel paradise,a walk on the moon and a stroll on earth. But it’s the latest project that has Tannishtha on a high – playing Meena for Lucy Liu. “It’s one of six such features that make up the American tele-series Half the Sky based on the book by Pulitzer Prize winners Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn. It’s also an important project,in terms of kind of story,women who have made a difference. I play Meena,a girl who is sold to a brothel; at the age of ten,and how she goes through a traumatic experience,helps young girls escape the brothel except her own daughter. The story follows Meena as she goes back to rescue her daughter,” narrates Tannishtha,adding how Lucy came across as one of the most well read,emotionally connected and sensitive persons.

Are women-oriented roles a conscious choice or they just happen? “I’m lucky to get women-oriented scripts. It lets me explore the many layers to a woman,for she has such depth and complexity in her.” A creative person,the actress indulges in story-telling,expressing and conveying them through performance. In the process,acting happened. Talk tinsel town,and Tannishtha has Road,Movie with Abhay Deol releasing on March 5 in which Abhay plays a truck driver and travels with three characters and movies. “Cinema is a mass medium and any actress would love the chance to reach out to the millions of movie lovers…as long as the role is meaty and allows me to showcase my ability,I don’t intend to be trapped in the labels that needlessly separate films into multiplex movies and commercial movies.” Only time will tell!