Satyajit Ray devotees would recollect Swatilekha Sengupta as the attractive spouse trapped in a circle of drama between her rich husband (Victor Banerjee) and his political dissident companion Soumitra Chatterjee in Ghare Baire (1985). The film showed her trapped in a tornado of feelings as she needed to pick either her calm spouse and the appealling admirer. It was a delicate exhibition and won her profound respect on the celebration circuit. Her lip-lock with Soumitra in the film caused some disruption. Negative audits of her presentation at home influenced her firmly and she didn’t sign a film for near 30 years after that. She was as of late seen in Bela Seshe (2015, The End) coordinated by Nandita Roy and Shiboprosad Mukherjee. In this she was brought together with Soumitra. The 70-year-old entertainer, who is known more for her plays than films, experienced a coronary episode some time prior. The actrress is better at this point. Furthermore, she’s amped up for her forthcoming film Bela Shuru (The Beginning).Starring her and Soumitra Chatterjee by and by, the film is a kind of otherworldly replacement to the group’s prior film. Extracts from a meeting with Swatilekha – a Sangeet Natak Akademi Award champ, who has lost none of her flair to the progression of time. A young lady from Allahabad would’ve made a trip to Mumbai and not Kolkata to be an entertainer. What caused you to do the opposite?
I came here in 1975-76 in the wake of finishing my MA from Allahabad University. I was constantly intrigued by theater. In the end, I joined the Nandikar bunch (she worked under the course of Rudraprasad Sengupta, one of the authors, whom she later wedded). Sombhu Mitra was a symbol of the entertainment business world around then. I did German writer Bertolt Brecht’s Galileo with him. I barely played any part in the play. In any case, Satyajit Ray watched it and he needed me to play Bimala in Ghare Baire (1985).
Do you recall your first gathering with Satyajit Ray?
I would not like to take my end of the year tests in school. So I’d composed a letter to Ray saying, “If it’s not too much trouble, take me in your film, I would prefer not to do this test.” But I didn’t get any answer. A long time later, I got a call from entertainer Rabi Ghosh saying Satyajit Ray needs to meet you. I didn’t trust him. However, ultimately I concurred. There was a bandh the day I was to meet Ray. I strolled 14 kilometers to arrive at his place. At the point when he opened the entryway, he appeared as though he’d seen a phantom. He said, “How is it possible that you would come today? Everything is shut.” I said, “OK, I’ll return.” He said, “No, no, sit.” He began making my portrayals and said, “You’re not kidding.” He gave me the content of Ghare Baire, which depended on Rabindranath Tagore’s novel of a similar name.What was Satyajit Ray like personally and as a movie producer?
He was Tagore, Picasso, Beethoven, all moved into one. He was a fine craftsman as well. He used to paint every one of his scenes prior to shooting them. He used to try and paint the shirt and sarees of his female characters. The texture used to be purchased by the painting. He, at the end of the day, looked for the Victoria brand cigarettes only for a single shot in Ghare Baire. Additionally, there’s a little box of gems in the film. He recruited that case for 8000 rupees for one day. In any case, he never squandered cash on taking retakes. He was kanjoos. He was a one-take chief. I was in contact with him even after the film. In any case, I was modest with regards to showing how significant he was intended for me. I’d advise him, “Manikda if it’s not too much trouble, pardon me. In any case, I can’t do this, ‘Dada, Dada’ business constantly. Whatever there is intended for you, it’s in my heart. I can’t communicate it.” He said, “However how might I realize that you need to do another film.” I said, “That is valid. I need to do another film.” But he died before that. It was pitiful.
