Comic Relief

The film,written by Deepa Mehta and her brother Dilip,is a satirical comedy about a couple in the Canadian Diplomatic Service who are posted in New Delhi and inherit a household of Indian servants headed by the south Indian cook Stella. Played by Biswas,Stella is as good with her culinary skills as she is at pilfering items to make an extra buck. But her plans are threatened when Michael,her employer,stays at home while his wife Maya pursues her diplomatic career.

“Stella dreams of being rich some day. So when no one’s watching,she indulges herself in her employer’s wines. She is charming and wily at the same time,” says Biswas. Not a great cook in real life,she confesses that she hardly touched a pan till she moved to Mumbai from Delhi . “I do cook for family and friends sometimes. But unlike Stella,I’m not brilliant or authentic at the art.”

When the 44-year-old Assamese actor was first offered the part and told that she would need to put on oodles of weight,she laughed it off but knew it was a role that she should not miss. “The response to the film has been fabulous. We have already made waves at various festivals,including the Toronto International Film Festival,” she says.

Biswas will next be seen in Red Alert in which she plays a Naxalite. While some say her character will be close to the one in Bandit Queen,Biswas denies that. “It’s a commercial film and I play a strong,educated woman who has joined the Naxals to fight the system,” she explains. And though the film sheds light on what often leads people to take up arms,Biswas is not partial to the cause. “Violence is no different from terrorism. Whatever be the cause,taking lives has never been a solution.” However,she feels the film will help people view the issue differently.