you may have worked in National award winning films, you may have worked in films that have got national awards and
you have worked with all the big internationally acclaimed directors
but if you don't prove yourself in Bollywood people really don't care
it's very important for them to see your work happening in their own space
outside the space what you have done and achieve it doesn't matter to them
I would say it's not that they're disrespectful
they don't care,
it's very important that you do some work in Hindi language
for them to take notice
that doesn't happen with South Indian regional industry
that doesn't happen with Punjabi industry
but it happens with Bengal or Assam
she is a huge star in the Bengali film industry
and when you talk about broadening her arisen stunned with her performance in Detective Bomkesh Bakshy
and her newly released Paatal Log now we'll see her as Kizie's mom in Dil Bechara
Joining us for conversation today is Swastika Mukherjee
how have you been, all good
it's a difficult answer to give, given the trying times we're all living in
you started a fresh in completely new industry after enjoying 20 years of stardom in Bengali film industry
was it ever difficult, do you feel like today despite being a star in Bengal
do you feel that somehow in Bollywood regional actors are not treated as
respectfully as others
see I would really like to give frank and honest answers to this question
I've always given lot of respect
in kind of films or little amount of work that I've done in Bollywood
and the kind of work that I'll be doing in the near future
I would not say that I was look down upon or I was disrespected
because people who had approached me were very well aware of , my body of work
and of course because I did Bomkesh, so hangover of that film was very much there
in the industry where I was either people were approaching me or either I was approaching them
but I'd realized something and it's good that I realized it early
that you may be doing thousands of work in your regional space
and by regional space I would definitely want to mention
the eastern part of India
because if I consider South India to be a regional country
heros and actresses from South Indian language films quite celebrated in Bollywood
like a huge news like if we have South Indian actors or actresses
when they become a part of Bollywood mainstream workspace
it's a huge news
even I would say if people from Punjab
are coming on board for Bollywood films that's also like a huge big deal
like when Diljit Dosanjh when he came and he did Udta Punjab
it was a huge thing like he is from Punjab and he is so big in Punjab
and he is from Punjab and doing
being a part of Bollywood films
the same if doesn't happen if somebody from Bengal or somebody from Assam is coming and working in Bollywood
mainstream films
and what I really felt is that
you can do as much as good work , you can in bengal
I mention Bengal because I did from there
and you may have worked with national award winning films
you maybe have worked in films that have got national awards and
you have worked with all the big international accliamed directors
but if you don't prove yourself in Bollywood
people really don't care of what you've done
in your own work space
so of course they remembered my work in Bomkesh
and they saw my work in Paatal Log
and they will see ,my work in Dil Bechara
so people in the industry who will actually give you work or who will approach you for work
that not only includes the directors and producers also the casting directors, also the casting agencies
it's very important for them to see your work happening in their own space
outside that space what you have done and what you have achieved
it doesn't matter to them
yeah, because strangely after detective took, and Anushka Sharma to cast you in a series like Paatal Log
and being a Bengali I know the performer that you're
I'm not kidding because i have grown up watching you so
as a Bengali even I feel the distinguish
it wasn't celebrated as other film although he is like a superstar from West Bengal
you are absolutely right, today there is insider outsider debate
I would say it's not that they're disrespectful
they don't care
the word is they don't care
you can be Big who ever
but till the time you're not proving your work
in the work that is happening in their space
they're not going to take you seriously
has that happen to you, has to Bollywood casting producer or director said something obnioxious to you
they are not disrespectful
whenever I have been asked to give a audition lot of times they have told me
you send us the self test, I don't feel comfortable in doing self test
I will go and give the audition but it's not that they have made me sit for hours
or I had to stand in a line all that is not happened
they don't know my body of work and they're approaching me with zero refreance in their mind
but I'm just saying that till the time you're not proving your self your worth as an actor
what you can do and your talent and performance
it's very important that you do some work in Hindi language
whatever you have done in your own native language is of no important
you have to do something which is worthy enough in Hindi language for people to take notice
but that doesn't happen with South Indian regional industry
that doesn't happen with Punjabi industries
but it happens with you know Bengal or Assam
that is something that I , it ughs me a little bit
why this difference of thoughts are there
but has life changed post Paatal Log
I don't know because Paatal Log happened during lockdown
and Dil Bechara is also releasing in lockdown
so I don't know I'll be able to understand
what is happening once things become normal \
but I got such amazing response from such big names post Paatal log
I'd Vidiya Balan had called me personally so
and she is I really look upto her and I have seen all her work
I look up to her and I think she is a huge inspiration as a women
not just her actress avatar
as a wome I have really looked upto her and try to follw her path
the way she always talks about embracing one's self
I also try to say same thing to my fans and followers
she calling me personally and she sounded so excited
she had broken down scenes and she was talking about scenes
I can't hear her properly I was so overwhelmed
and we spoke for quite a long time I also spoke to Siddhart Roy Kapoor
she is so humble she was like talk to my husband
entire humility in her was so overwhelming
that after the conversation was over I messaged her back saying I'm sorry I couldn't Thank you properly
I was so excited and happy
I also got a personal message from Mr Aamir Khan
and yeah it was shocking
but it's true I want people to notice it because
today is the time where things might change
there is a time for paradim shift for industry and this is the time for ours
it's lovely and even with film like Dil Bechara
it's going to become emotion universal emotion among people today
I really feel good because people saw me as Anguri Devi
when they saw me as Dolly mehra which was such a big shift
from a very hot sexy, diva kind of space
and paatal Log has just happened very recently
so there is lot of time I'm posting things about Dil Bechara
people are still writting or acknowleging work of Paatal Log
even under pictures of Dil Bechara so it's very much new and fresh
but Dil Bechara's Mrs, Basu will be such a huge leap from Dolly Mehra again
so I'm happy when people are getting to see different
very different far from each other kind of characters
on OTT platforms so you also get to understand the
the graph of an actor
that okay she can do this also and that also
so I think for actors it's a really good time
the kind of work that is happening on OTT
I think it is really good time to work on your strengths
and play as many different characters as you can
and good for audience and good for directors or producers whoever
your career depends on them to see the graph
all the best more power to you, Thank you Nayandeep
for having me and chatting with me and