Raima, Riya Sen made their director drink raw vinegar, threatened him!

Debutant director Debaloy Bhattacharya of Roga Howar Shohoj Upaye prefers to call himself chalok' (driver) and his two heroines, Raima and Riya Sen, his 'pori's (angels) or muse. CT was there when the trio went to Dacres Lane for an adda over street food.They chatted about everything, from films to staying fit. Excerpts:
CT: What is roga howar shohoj upaye (easy way to lose weight)?
Riya Sen: A film! (laughs)
Debaloy Bhattacharya: Bang on! It is a romantic fun film with some amount of suspense in it.Wherever I go the only topic of discussion is, 'Have I put on weight? How come you've become so thin? What do you eat to stay thin? Which fitness centre are you going to and how long do you work out?' People are actually obsessed about their weight and want to have a size-zero figure. If a person loses weight due to illness, no one believes it. They think the person won't share his/her weight-loss secret. The concept of 'roga hoawa' is now as popular as 'rosogolla' in Kolkata and that inspired me to make this film.
Raima Sen: The first thing people ask me before asking how I'm doing is, 'Ki kore eto roga thako?' or 'Ki khao roga thakar jonne?' I can't make them believe that I really don't do anything to maintain myself. I eat everything under the sun. In fact, I had to gain a few kilos for this film and am now finding it difficult to shed.
Debaloy: You are not fat, Raima. In fact, you are the perfect example of an Indian beauty!
Riya: No one in Kolkata will believe that I'm considered fat in Mumbai. Directors and actors there tell me that I should lose weight! I feel being healthy is more important than becoming size zero.
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Debaloy: Riya, how can one call you fat? You are skinny!
Raima: Everyone in Mumbai is conscious about their figures. I go to the gym when I am there, but in Kolkata, I'm either shooting or eating. I eat everything and then complain that I'm putting on weight. Be presentable, that's my mantra and not to be size zero.
Riya: I hardly do much to maintain myself. I do yoga once in three-four months for few days at a stretch and that's it!
Debaloy: It's true that Raima eats a lot, while Riya just nibbles. During the shoot, Raima used to have a full course meal cooked for the unit and then order food from outside.
CT: Do you sisters talk about weight issues?
Riya: Oh yes, at times Raima tells me, 'Look at your fat face and thighs', but in front of others, she praises my figure.
Raima: Riya says I was a fatso who has slimmed down. And Riya, we all know has a perfect figure to flaunt.
Riya: Raima looks beautiful anyway, she knows that well. She is just fishing for compliments...
Who���s that guy with Riya Sen?
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Debaloy: I can disclose the secret of how both the sisters stay slim and trim. They keep fighting and burn calories. They even gang up to play pranks on others. They made me eat raw vinegar and trifala and threatened that they will not come to the shoot if I didn't listen to them (laughs). But jokes apart, both of them are a pleasure to work with, without any tantrums.
Riya: We were so scared of Debaloy! He used to scream his heart out at us on the sets. We used to stand in one corner and follow his instructions. He was not less than a Hitler; didn't even smile at us.Raima: I almost cried on the sets, he scolded me so much!
Debaloy: Both you are so mean! I refuse to take both of you in my next film!
Raima: Debaloy had warned us that we better say to the media that he is cutest director to work with because only then he will cast us in his next film, which is Mota Howar Shohoj Upaye (winks)!
Riya: He even said both Raima and me are so nice that he would have loved to have us as his daughters-in-law if he had two eligible sons (laughs out loud).
CT: What's the story of the film?
Raima: I play Ranjana. Joy (Parambrata Chatterjee), a chef in a premium city hotel falls for me and loves to cook for me. Life is a bed of roses till the day a phone call starts coming. A person calls up saying he is cholesterol and he wants to get rid of Ranjana. She feels a mysterious person in a mask stalking her.Soon it turns into a nightmare for Ranjana and Joy takes her to a psychiatrist. The psychiatrist claims it's all in her mind. The fear of putting on weight has embedded itself in her subconscious mind. The film is about what happens when Ranjana gets obsessed about losing weight.
Riya: Raima is the romance, while I'm the suspense of the film. I am not supposed to divulge anything more.
Debaloy: Cholesterol plays the villain, but then, who is the comedian in the film? Guess it's me. The film has no message to convey and only stresses that fatness or slimness doesn't matter.What matters is to be content and happy in life.
CT: How was it working with Parambrata?
Raima: Nice.
Also Read: Parambrata in scriptwriter Debaloy's debut directorial?
Debaloy: I think in real life, Param can't cook to save his life, but he will not accept it. He will surely say he can cook and name some weird dishes, which he will claim he has learnt from some chef in Paris. Though in the film, Param as a chef is so convincing.Raima's equation with him is also smooth. With Riya, his relationship is (after a pause) normal. Rather, a little unstable, I would say , as required for the film.
Riya: Strange, you mean to say , Debaloy (laughs)?
Debaloy: I must say, working with the whole team for this film was more fun than work.