Actress Swastika Mukherjee, who has a 23-year brilliant career in Bengali film and television, believes it is tragic that performers are only seen as successful when they appear in Hindi-language productions.
Mukherjee, whose career began with the Bengali soap opera “Ek Akasher Nicher” in 2000, has been in several highly praised films, including as the Byomkesh series from Anjan Dutta, the National Award-winning “Jaatishwar,” “Mishawr Rawhoshyo,” and “Maach Mishti & More” (2013).
But it was her portrayal of Dolly Mehra in “Paatal Lok” that made her a star in Mumbai.
“After 'Paatal Lok,' so many people asked me, 'Where have you been all these years?' I said that I had just been here. It is only after you have accomplished something in Bombay and in Hindi that you are considered to be there, Mukherjee said PTI in an interview.
Mukherjee, who most recently appeared in psychological thriller “Qala” as Tripti Dimri's mother, said she can't recall the last time she worked on a “hero-based” production.
“This is one tragedy of which people only become aware when it occurs in Bombay.
“I believe that changes are now taking place on a national basis; people are becoming more aware of it as a result of the large number of films with strong female leads, even those that are not specifically about women. However, we have been doing this in local theatres for years. I don't recall the last time I participated in a hero-focused movie, the actress stated.
The actress cited her part as a complicated mother in Anvita Dutt's “Qala” as an example for how naturally female writers and directors are better at capturing the nuanced aspects of female characters.
“'Qala' to me is a mother and daughter's love tale. Therefore, as women, we can learn about the nuances of being a mother, having a girl child, and failing at parenting from our own experiences as well as from the tales we have heard from friends.
We will undoubtedly comprehend a woman's feelings and interactions with her daughter a bit better than a male since we are experiencing the life of a woman. I believe it's more clear or simple for a woman than a male to speak about failing moms, the “Dil Bechara” actress stated.
In addition to “Qala,” the 42-year-old actress also appeared in the third season of “Criminal Justice” as Avantika Ahuja, a different powerful mother. Despite the odds against her wrongfully accused son, her character stands by him.
The actress said that it did not matter as long as she could depict the nuances of those characters, when asked if playing moms would typecast her in a field notorious for boxing in its performers.
“I have been working for the last 23 years, and throughout that time I have portrayed the part of moms. There are a huge number of moms, and they might all be unique. Even if I've been given a variety of roles, even though three out of every five are moms, I don't think there's a problem.
“As an actor, I'm thrilled when I get to play unique characters. It makes no difference if they are grandparents, moms, or aunts. “What is more important to me is how much variety I can bring to my work and how many different ways people can view me,” Mukherjee added.
