Aparna Sen on why she continues making films she believes in

Aparna Sen

Aparna Sen

Enroute to the ongoing Pune International Film Festival (which runs till January 19) Aparna Sen stopped by in Mumbai. The Kolkata-based veteran actress-filmmaker is chairperson of the jury. She was looking forward to soaking in some world cinema and enjoying Pune's cool climes. "A shawl and a pair of socks should do fine, right?" she asks when we meet her at a coffee house in Juhu. "Mumbai and Kolkata are not exactly cold," she intones.

Shabana Azmi, Lillete Dubey and Aparna Sen in the upcoming English film, Sonata

Whenever possible, Sen visits Mumbai to catch up on what's latest in her five-year-old grandson Haroon's (daughter Konkona's tot) life. "He has picked up Bengali, Hindi, English and Punjabi. But he prefers to talk to me in English. He refers to me as "mummum" - that's what Konkana calls me," she says endearingly.

Known for films like 36 Chowringhee Lane (1981), Paroma (1984), Mr and Mrs Iyer (2001) and The Japanese Wife (2010), Sen is currently in the midst of post-production of her next English film, Sonata, which stars Shabana Azmi, Lillete Dubey and herself. Adapted from Marathi litterateur Mahesh Elkunchwar's play of the same name, the film revolves around three unmarried women facing a mid-life crisis. Sen plays a professor, Azmi's a banker and Dubey essays the role of a scribe.

Ask Sen about dealing with two powerhouse actresses (Shabana and Lillete) and she laughs, "You mean were there catfights and ego tussles? Did they give me a tough time during the shoot? Not at all, we are far from that. We completed the film in 20 days in Kolkata. We were all so into the character that there was no time to do anything else."

Sen's association with Azmi goes back decades. "She calls me Rina. That's my pet name; only those close to me refer to me by that name. This explains my rapport with Shabana. And I call her Munni; that's what her folks have called her at home since childhood. She tells me when she shoots with me; it's difficult for her to shoot with someone else. Shooting with Shabana is pure joy. We discuss, dissect and she just dives into the role."

Ironically in the film, Azmi plays a Bengali character while Sen plays a woman from Uttar Pradesh. "That's the novelty as we stepped outside our zones. It would be given that I play a Bengali and she from UP, but our role reversal has just added to the film."

Azmi has also rendered two tracks in Sonata. "It's Rabindra Sangeet and when I told her she should take a shot at singing as well, she took it upon as a challenge. She coached herself and hit the high notes without taking recourse to a background score."

On the other hand, Sen has collaborated with Lillete for the first time. "Now I wonder why I did not work with her earlier. I would insist that her straight hair have that curly look to go with her characterisation; now she's hoping to work with me again some day."

Sen's name is synonymous with arthouse and slice-of-life cinema. "I began as an actress in Bengali films, but when I decided to turn director, I clearly knew what kind of films I would make. I did not want to direct the same type of films I had acted in. I wanted to do meaningful films as a director. Films, I believed in, and not dictated by terms and conditions. It's my choice. This is what makes me happy, this is what I am comfortable doing. Or I would have continued to act in commercial films. I direct in English and Bengali as these are the languages I am comfortable in." At the same time, she does not consider Hindi films an alien territory. Sen did try fitting into Bollywood, but something or the other would happen and the project would not take off.

Sen points outs, "I think most Bollywood stars are wary of taking role decisions for themselves. There are too many people around guiding them and telling them about their image. When you relate a story to a Bollywood star they don't know whether they should commit or not." She is well aware that Bollywood is dictated by economics, rather than art.

Her last Hindi venture was Saari Raat with Konkana, Anjan Dutt and Ritwick Chakraborty. "It was part of the Zeal for Unity project and I hope the makers release it."

Like other Bengali filmmakers like Mrinal Sen, Buddhadeb Dasgupta and the late Rituparno Ghosh, she feels regional filmmakers are also known and have got their due. "Our projects are appreciated, have won awards, do the festival rounds. That is what matters to me. I love attending film festivals and travelling or take off to my Santiniketan home when I want to get away or pen a script."

Sen has yet to see daughter Konkana's directoral debut, A Death In The Ganj, on the big screen. "I have watched it on a CD on TV, but the real essence is when you view it in a cinema hall. She refrained from going on the sets or providing inputs to Konkana. "It is her project, but I know how Konkana functions; she had visually imagined each and every scene in her head."

Does she watch Bollywood flicks? "I have heard a lot about Dangal, I think I should watch it. The last Hindi film I saw was Ae Dil Hai Mushkil. I really don't know why I saw it. I think because of Aishwarya Rai as she was back after a while. But I enjoyed watching Masaan and Aligarh. Both were exceptionally good with performances to watch." A clear reflection of the kind of cinema Sen subscribes to.