I was never in the race to become a mainstream Bollywood actor, though my entire upbringing revolved around cinema. I don’t feel like an A-list Bollywood actor; I don’t even know whether I have made a place in Bollywood or not. I just enjoy my work and I consider myself as a working actor with a normal life. Being the daughter of Aparna Sen, I consider myself privileged. As art and culture were a part of everyday life. My grandfather, Chidananda Dasgupta was a film critic. He directed some documentaries and feature films; He was also a film historian. He co-founded the Calcutta Film Society (CFS) – India’s first film society with Satyajit Ray. My mother is a film director, actor and a magazine editor. That’s why I have seen this life since childhood. I have been going to the studio since childhood and watch the shoots. I have acquired so much from my family that I feel that I have come from a great position of privilege. Thus, it was easier for me in many ways. And it all influenced my upbringing, my tastes, my aesthetic inclinations and my understanding of cinema.
First up… a boy
I never wanted to be an actor, but since my mother was a mainstream actress, I used to accompany her for shoots. When I was about four years old, they needed a little boy for a role and as the crew couldn’t find one, I was drawn after I cut my hair. That was my first film. Although I was always told that I am a good actress, I never took anyone seriously. Somehow this happened to me and finally I accepted it.
When I stepped into film direction, my mother helped me a lot. Being a director can be stressful, sometimes frustrating, sometimes rewarding, and sometimes exhilarating. I used to call my mother every other day with hundreds of questions and she patiently answered them all.
I have started writing too. Let’s see how it is made. It is too early to say now. I enjoy directing too, but I am primarily an actor. And I’ve been very busy and have some interesting work coming up lately.
OTT and other freedoms
OTT platforms are amazing because of the certain freedoms and flexibility we have in terms of format. You can feature, mini-series, short films, documentaries…. I am completely against censorship of any kind. I think that as Indian citizens who have the right to choose our leaders, we also have the right to decide what we want to see, who we want to love, how we want to live our lives and what we eat. want. These are freedoms and choices that should not be taken away from us. If we are unable to comment on and portray the ground reality in films, we have to say, “Oh! Everything is great. We have the best country, the best government, the best infrastructure…” Why do we have to say that?
lessons in self reliance
The pandemic has made me realize that other people’s lives are as difficult as ours. We often take frontline workers lightly. We think the fire brigade man should douse the fire. The police officer should do his job. But it is difficult for them in view of certain circumstances of our country. Being a developing country, we must be aware of the fact that not everyone’s life is as privileged as ours. It’s time we needed to be kind to other people. Pandemic has been a great teacher. It taught us to do everything at home and not depend on outside help. I know how to drive, but now I have learned to park my car properly.
on imperceptible consumption
These difficult months have brought other things to mind as well. Even as a child, I used to be environmentally conscious. It is more important than ever to lead a conscious and responsible life. Therefore, consume less and consume only the things that are needed. We should keep repeating our clothes again and again. We just need to be aware on a daily basis how much we can survive. The climate crisis is very real, and will destroy millions of lives. It’s on us, really, even as I write these words. Maybe that’s what makes me a conscious consumer!
Konkona Sen Sharma (is an actor)
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