Konkona Sen Sharma feels every day is a struggle for women to achieve balance between work and life: ‘Some days, you fail more than others’

Konkona, your character Sanyukta in Search: The Naina Murder Case is a no-nonsense cop who’s trying to solve the case, instead of merely closing it like her successor Jai (Surya Sharma). Does that come from her gender or her experience?

Konkona: Even the original Danish show had this dynamic between an older, more restrained, and perhaps a little more mature woman and this rookie, upstart cocky young officer. That was, actually in a way, the most charming thing about the show. They have a very odd kind of a chemistry.

Rohan: That’s an essential hook for the viewers. You enjoy their different approaches. Because if they were cut from the same cloth, then you don’t need two characters. It could well have been the other way — she could’ve been the hot-headed one and the young guy would want to go by the book. But the original took this path, it’s fun, and it works. Plus, there’s a reference to a past that she’s paying the price for till today. So, she knows what the consequences of being rash are. If we talk about the gender angle, she feels almost obliged to her husband because he’d taken a backseat for her career. So, she’s on a borrowed time. Gender is obviously one of those things there, but it’s mixed up with age, experience, and outlook.

In a lot of police procedurals, the cops lend a lot of moral support to the victim’s family. But in this show, Sanyukta chides Jai for giving false assurance to the victim’s parents. What’s the idea behind that pragmatist approach?

Konkona: It all fits in so nicely that I didn’t even feel the need to question that. This just fell into place with her character. She’s someone who under-promises and overdelivers. She wants to be thorough. It’s not about ‘show’ at all for her.

Rohan: And Jai is someone who wants to prove himself. So, he’d jump over things that she wouldn’t. Again, that’s a very natural, youthful Dabangg kind of a character.

Is the limitation of a thorough investigation also a delay in justice. And in that case, is justice delayed justice denied?

Konkona: Why is the justice delayed? That’s also an important examination. Is it because they’re doing the investigation properly or repeatedly the dates are getting cancelled or things are not happening efficiently because of bureaucratic red tape.

Rohan: There’re political repercussions also. If something happens, then there’s a pressure to put out that fire. It’s not particular to India. It happens worldwide. The cops get pushed around. The victim’s family doesn’t see justice because there are bigger forces at play.

Konkona: Many good things take time though. For example, even creating a show. Social media giving instant gratification is what should be questioned perhaps.

The show also asks if a working woman can have it all. Konkona, have you also faced this in real life?

Konkona: I face it every day. It’s a struggle to achieve a balance. Some days, you fail less and some days, you fail more. I do think it’s a gender issue. But even for men who want to be very involved fathers or are single fathers, it’s also very difficult because nowadays, we don’t have such a sense of community.

Rohan: There are many pros to the nuclear family, but there are also these pressures. I love Sanyukta’s relationship with her mother. It’s such a small part of the show, but it completes what we’re trying to say.

Konkona: We do see Sanyukta trying to make an effort, but without necessarily meaning to, she prioritizes the case. Even though she wants to take the bigger step of saving her marriage, she’s putting that on the backburner in the short term. That’s very unusual.

Rohan: That’s the battle between the head and the heart. You somewhere feel her heart is being the cop. That becomes a genuine dilemma. When she has that phone call with her mother, she expresses that dilemma in such a simple, beautiful way.

But like Sanyukta, do you ever grapple with attaching your identity too much to your work?

Konkona: No, I don’t think so. One has a very rich and fulfilling life. Work isn’t the only thing defining my identity. The loved ones — family, children, even friends, and that sense of community — are very important to me. Having a rich inner world and spending time alone are also very important. I’m not only just hung up on work. Obviously, it’s an important part of my life. But I’m not blinded by the case like Sanyukta.

Rohan: I’m more prone to finding a lot more meaning in work. When I’m between shoots, I become more restless. So, I’ve become more aware of it. But I’m trying to take some steps to redefine that in a more balanced way. Weirdly, it’s become a different kind of work. So, I feel like an escape artist who wants to deep dive into work full time. There’s a lot of work you do for yourself, but for me, all that’s gone now. I really want to entertain and engage in different ways now.

Konkona: In my case, one thing enriches the other. It’s a study in contrast. If I’m home a lot and continuously and working less, then I’m unbearable! Then I’m just interfering in every little thing at home and annoy the shit out of everybody. I appreciate work a little more because then I can keep the home stress away. So, both become meaningful.

Like Kay Kay Menon’s Himmat Singh in Special Ops, Sanyukta also comes back home only to spy on her daughter. Has your work life also spilled into your home?

Konkona: I’m a great fan of unpacking and breaking down whatever is available to me, genuinely. I’m endlessly fascinated with human beings.

The cold-bloodedness of this police procedural takes me back to Meghna Gulzar’s Talvar 10 years ago. Konkona, do you remember her brief to you, because we never see her go all vulnerable?

Konkona: First of all, it was 10 years ago! So, disclaimer. For me, personally, it was also based on whatever I’d seen of that character (Nupur Talwar) in real life. But just because a person is not breaking down in a conventional way, does that mean they’re not feeling things? That’s how we’re trained to view things. We manipulate the audience into believing something, but that’s not necessarily true. That’s superficial. We often saw that character interact with the media, cops, and other members of the family. So, she’s not being vulnerable. But then, are you judging her?

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Life… in a Metro and Metro… In Dino director Anurag Basu joked that it was a little difficult to direct Konkona this time because she’s herself a director now. Rohan, did you also feel any such evolution in her?

Konkona: I want to remind all we first worked together before we had children.

Rohan: Koko is one of the most fun comic actors ever, whether it was in SideHero (2018) or The President Is Coming (2009). We got lucky because this just becomes an excuse to spend more time together. She just asks the absolute right questions. Then a clarity comes in, and she brings in these nice little touches. She suggested she wear her father’s jeans, which really set her look in Search. It’s a small thing, and it’s a huge thing. That’s a director’s instinct maybe (laughs)!

Konkona: Nicely tied it back to that! Basically, I’m an actor. I’ve been acting most of my career. I’ve hardly directed very much. So, I’m not questioning anything directorially.

Rohan: Sriram Raghavan told me once he met a non-film guy who asked him, “What do you do?” He said, “I’m a director.” So, he said, “But are you directing today?” (laughs). So, what’s directing really? I want that on a T-shirt.

Konkona, not today but are you directing anytime soon? Maybe that Prime Video India show on a South Delhi girl?

Konkona: Maybe. I’m still in talks. Things keep changing. It’s still a while away. I’m also excited, but I’m always apprehensive because it’s a series. Let’s not talk about it because I’ll get nervous!

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