From meaningful to mainstream movies, Konkona Sen Sharma’s experiments with roles continue
Many shades Konkona Sen Sharma is making her mainstream debut
She is known to do things differently. Once again Konkona Sen Sharma effortlessly gets into the skin of a 30-something girl in “Metro”. “It’s a contemporary urban subject that deals with complexities of life in a metro, partic
ularly how youngsters are dealing with emotions amidst the fast-paced life. I play Shruti who is financially independent but emotionally weak. She desperately seeks security of a relationship. She registers herself at matrimonial sites, gets into a strange affair and some strange situations,” says the actor.
Early life
Konkona has lived life in three metros. Born and brought up in Kolkata, she graduated from Delhi and a couple of years ago moved to Mumbai when Bollywood catapulted her as a thinking man’s actor with films such as “Omkara” and “Traffic Signal”. “I have never faced problems in these cities, but I have seen some getting caught in the web of big cities,” says Konkona.
“Metro” gave her an opportunity to work with Irrfan Khan, with whom she was supposed to do “The Namesake”, before she turned down Mira Nair’s offer. “I opted out because the dates clashed with my mother’s film ‘15 Park Avenue’. I have worked with Irrfan before. He is an effortless actor, who pushes you to do your best.”
Konkona has always played different characters with aplomb. “I keep looking for directors who can offer me something new. For instance, Omkara’s character, I have never been to western Uttar Pradesh and was totally at sea with the dialect in the beginning, but Vishal shaped the character really well.” Indeed, she managed to steal the thunder from the film’s heroine Kareena Kapoor and won a Filmfare Award for the role, which was miniscule by Bollywood standards.
Biggest challenge
However, her biggest challenge comes later this year, when Konkona strides into mainstream Bollywood films. She will be seen in two Yash Raj banner films, “Laga Chunri Main Daag” and “Aja Nachle”. “It is too early to talk about them. It is because of the directors, Pradeep Sarkar and Anil Mehta, I am doing the films. My sensibilities are the same. The Yash Raj banner offered me the roles. But things are changing. ‘Kabul Express’ was also from the same banner.” What about her stand that Indian cinema doesn’t mean Bollywood? “I still believe a lot of quality work is being done in regional languages. And I am still part of it. It’s just that it doesn’t get highlighted. How many know that my Bengali film “Dosar” is going to be screened at Cannes.”
Meanwhile, her tryst with roles continue as she awaits the release of her first comedy, “Sunglass” by Rituparno Ghosh.
ANUJ KUMAR
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