Sanchayita Bhattacharjee as a desperate housewife in A Woman Alone
A voice like a hammer answers the phone. It hits you that Sanchayita Bhattacharjee may not be too distant from the formidable protagonist of her latest solo A Woman Alone who suffers fools only until she can shoot them down. The actor, however, insists that she is “very malleable in real life”. Is this because Bhattacharjee is also a chef — specialising in French cuisine — since theatre has offered her only strong, even headstrong, women characters?
She has always been passionate about theatre, says Bhattacharjee, but when the chance came to choose between the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts (RADA) and Le Cordon Bleu — two prime schools for theatre and hospitality education respectively — the actor opted for the kitchen. At the Le Cordon Bleu in London, Israeli celebrity chef Michael Katz gave her the moniker Chef Sunshine, which sticks to this day. Chef Sunshine now has a restaurant in Kolkata called The Restaurant on the First Floor as well as 25 theatre roles to her credit. She is a part of Kolkata-based arts organisation Padatik and performed in the Capital for the Delhi International Arts Festival. Excerpts from an interview:
She has played a man: It was in a play called Mr Hardheart when I was studying at St Thomas in Delhi. Our principal Mrs Joy Michael, a well-known theatre person who started the Yatrik group, ensured that we learned theatre craft, which included sets, lighting and backstage work. Mr Hardheart was a comic role of a stingy man who has a change of heart after meeting Father Christmas. When I went to Jadavpur University in Kolkata, I did lights and was the first girl to do so in the city.
Theatre is like cooking: It helps me reach out creatively. Unlike film and television, theatre is for the moment and you are only as good as your last character. Every performance is like a new dish; the freshness of every audience and the excitement of playing a role anew keep me going.
The housewife in A Woman Alone is like a curry: It is a fiery curry that starts slow, melts in your mouth and then hits you in the back of your head. She talks to a new neighbour about her husband who has given her all luxuries and locked her up in her own home. She looks after her brother-in-law who has roving hands, she deals with dirty phone calls, she deals with a psychotic ex-boyfriend, she deals with a pervert who stares at her, she deals with a crying baby — and she makes all of this sound ridiculous.
Woman on the edge can be tough:A Woman Alone is not a laugh riot, it is more a giggly kind of black comedy. Franca Rame, an Italian theatre actor and political activist, said that we women have been crying for 2,000 years, let’s laugh now, even at ourselves. For this role, I had to get physically fit because the protagonist swings between high energy and hysteria. I didn’t think the audience could laugh with the housewife because the things happening to her were so ridiculous. But, it is true that when we women sit down to chat, we don’t cry, we laugh about what is happening to us. Director Mahmud Alam interpreted the play in a stark, achromatic set because her own life is so colourful.
She has played a romantic: One of my plays was called Barishwala and I went and howled to director Rodney Marriot, who had come from New York to direct this play in Kolkata, that I was not attractive enough to play the lead Lizzie. I was extremely overweight and he said I was the perfect person for the role. Lizzie was also going through a similar phase and a fairy tale man comes and shows her her beauty.
And the other woman: In Atmakatha, I was the young girl who has an affair with her brother-in-law, played by Kulbhushan Kharbanda. Another woman in my life was Olivia, who I interpreted in an Indian way as a cross-gender person for the video that we had to send to RADA. She dresses like a man because, in India, a lot of women wish they could hide behind being a man. They called me for the final process so, I think, they liked my Olivia.
Dipanita Nath is a Senior Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. She is a versatile journalist with a deep interest in the intersection of culture, sustainability, and urban life.
Professional Background
Experience: Before joining The Indian Express, she worked with other major news organizations including Hindustan Times, The Times of India, and Mint.
Core Specializations: She is widely recognized for her coverage of the climate crisis, theatre and performing arts, heritage conservation, and the startup ecosystem (often through her "Pune Inc" series).
Storytelling Focus: Her work often unearths "hidden stories" of Pune—focusing on historical institutes, local traditions, and the personal journeys of social innovators.
Recent Notable Articles (December 2025)
Her recent reporting highlights Pune’s cultural pulse and the environmental challenges facing the city during the winter season:
1. Climate & Environment
"Pune shivers on coldest morning of the season; minimum temperature plunges to 6.9°C" (Dec 20, 2025): Reporting on the record-breaking cold wave in Pune and the IMD's forecast for the week.
"How a heritage tree-mapping event at Ganeshkhind Garden highlights rising interest in Pune’s green legacy" (Dec 20, 2025): Covering a citizen-led initiative where Gen Z and millennials gathered to document and protect ancient trees at a Biodiversity Heritage Site.
"Right to breathe: Landmark NGT order directs PMC to frame norms for pollution from construction sites" (Dec 8, 2025): Reporting on a significant legal victory for residents fighting dust and air pollution in urban neighborhoods like Baner.
2. "Hidden Stories" & Heritage
"Inside Pune library that’s nourished minds of entrepreneurs for 17 years" (Dec 21, 2025): A feature on the Venture Center Library, detailing how a collection of 3,500 specialized books helps tech startups navigate the product life cycle.
"Before he died, Ram Sutar gave Pune a lasting gift" (Dec 18, 2025): A tribute to the legendary sculptor Ram Sutar (creator of the Statue of Unity), focusing on his local works like the Chhatrapati Shivaji statue at Pune airport.
"The Pune institute where MA Jinnah was once chief guest" (Dec 6, 2025): An archival exploration of the College of Agriculture, established in 1907, and its historical role in India's freedom struggle.
3. Arts, Theatre & "Pune Inc"
"Satyajit Ray, Ritwik Ghatak were not rivals but close friends, says veteran filmmaker" (Dec 17, 2025): A deep-dive interview ahead of the Pune International Film Festival (PIFF) exploring the camaraderie between legends of Indian cinema.
"Meet the Pune entrepreneur helping women build and scale businesses" (Dec 16, 2025): Part of her "Pune Inc" series, profiling Nikita Vora’s efforts to empower female-led startups.
"How women drone pilots in rural Maharashtra are cultivating a green habit" (Dec 12, 2025): Exploring how technology is being used by women in agriculture to reduce chemical use and labor.
Signature Style
Dipanita Nath is known for intellectual curiosity and a narrative-driven approach. Whether she is writing about a 110-year-old eatery or the intricacies of the climate crisis, she focuses on the human element and the historical context. Her columns are often a blend of reportage and cultural commentary, making them a staple for readers interested in the "soul" of Pune.
X (Twitter): @dipanitanath ... Read More
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Sanchayita Bhattacharjee as a desperate housewife in A Woman Alone
