Sharmila Tagore REVEALS that he was offered Charulata by Satyajit Ray: he shared the idea with me | EXCLUSIVE

Sharmila Tagore REVEALS that he was offered Charulata by Satyajit Ray: he shared the idea with me | EXCLUSIVE (Credit: IMDb)

In an exclusive Zoom interview, legendary actress Sharmila Tagore reflects on his deep connection with Bengali cinema and his latest project, Puratawn. After a long hiatus from the genre, she discusses her recent work, accolades, and the themes of aging explored in the film.

Excerpts from the interview

Have you completed a Bengali film?

Yes, Puratawn is directed by Suman Ghosh. I think it will be released at the end of January. But MAMI will perform at its festival on the 21st of this month. There was a screening in Washington. They got the best film in Washington. And I got best actress. And then it was shown in Boston.

Haven’t you been seen in Bengali cinema for a long time?

Yes, my last Bengali film was fourteen years ago, Antaheen. And Puratawn is getting old. So it’s cool.

Speaking of Bengali cinema I was watching Satyajit RayIt’s Mahanagar, and I wondered why you weren’t in it.

He knew what he was doing. I think he wanted a little more maturity in the heroine’s character at that stage. But I could have done Charulata. In fact, he shared the idea with me.

Really? Charulata! Nobody knows that! So what happened?

I don’t know. But something happened. But she (Madhabi Mukherjee) did it very well. She was wonderful. And it’s such a beautifully directed film. But yes, Manikda told me the tale, and then something happened during Mahanagar. We all know what happened. So it’s okay. But I was back with his Aranyer Din Ratri.

I’m surprised to learn that you could have been Charulata!

He gave me a story to read. And then he said let’s talk about it. Then something happened. But anyway, it was a very good film. She was good at it.