Sen 038; sensibilities

Raima: I play Hemnalini,an educated and progressive young woman from a Brahmo family. She is dignified,mature and intelligent. I had to change my body language to suit the characters dignity and maturity and with Rituparno Ghosh as director,one cannot afford to go wrong. I enjoyed every bit of the role,the work and the shoot. It was tough but I love working with Rituda.

Riya: I play Kamala,a typical village girl who is naive,innocent with no ideas about the world beyond her village home. It was tough to begin with because Kamala is everything I am not. It is easy to look a character with the right kind of make-up,costume,jewellery,etc. while wandering around the sets but it took me at least two to three days to get under Kamalas skin,to feel the way she felt,to think the way she thought,to walk the way she walked without forgetting that this was for the camera. I enjoyed the change though I must say that it was wonderful playing Tia in Abohomaan too. But Kamala was a different cup of tea.

What differences did you find working in a contemporary film and a period film?

Raima: You need to be a little bit controlled while performing a character in a period film as compared to a contemporary film. Besides,such roles demand a lot of changes in enunciation and a lot of dubbing because the lines must be delivered right. I had to be just a wee bit Anglicised according to the period,the 1920s,in which the story is set.

Riya: They do not strike me as different really. They are characters in films and you just try to live up to the expectations of the director and do what he tells you to. But looking back,Nouka Dubi demanded a lot of homework to bring out the authenticity of the period. I learnt to chew paan,something I had never ever tasted in my whole life,for this role. I had to deconstruct myself in terms of body language,dialogue delivery and so on. I read the script twice. Neither Raima nor I have read the Tagore original but only Ritudas script.

How do you view your sister Riyas performance considering she is playing a role in a film that is completely against her usual screen image?

Raima: She is brilliant as Kamala and there can be no two opinions about this. She will surprise everyone. We do not share screen space but we were both present many a times when the other was shooting and could actually see what the other was doing. It was fun.

How was it working with your elder sister in the film?

Riya: We did not shoot together because the script did not need us to. When I started shooting,Raima finisher her portion on the same day. She virtually mothered me on the sets and made sure that I had my food on time,and most importantly,as she is a Rituda veteran,having worked in several of his films,she knew how his mind works on the sets,what he expects from his actors and gave me tips accordingly. No one would dare to do that in a Rituparno Ghosh film! Thanks to her,the entire team pampered me.

How do you juxtapose your own screen image vis-à-vis the screen image of Riya?

Raima: Between the two of us,she is the more glamorous one in person and on screen. She mainly does glamourous films while I more often land up doing offbeat movies,both in Bangla and Hindi. But for Kashmakash/ Nouka Dubi,I have been given a more glamorous image than she has but believe me,she looks much more beautiful than I do because she has imbibed the character so deeply into herself that even with her kohl-smudged eyes,rustic look and sad face,she presents a picture of beauty.

Riya: Raima is senior,more experienced,more versatile than I am. I have been more exposed to the modelling world than she has. She has worked with some of the best directors around. On the whole,she has worked in more Hindi and Bangla films than me and has portrayed memorable roles. But I am serious about playing more characters like Kamala and Tia and want to dispel the myth that I am just a dumb,glamorous doll who might not be able to pull off a serious role in a serious film. I think as Kamala in Nouka Dubi,people will begin to look at me differently.

Did you guide Riya in any way and did you have to go through workshops?

Raima: Riya does not need guidance. She knows what she must do and with Rituparno,workshops are superfluous. He is a workshop unto himself.

Did you dub for your character for the Hindi version,Kashmakash?

Raima: No,I didnt because the dates did not match with my other shooting schedules. But with Ritu and Subhashji,you can be assured that everything will be just right.

Riya: No. I too was busy with my other assignments.