I thought Tollywood would be more exciting: Jaya Ahsan

Slow and steady wins the race. Tell her this and she would say both these qualities are not a matter of choice, but compulsion when one is working in Kolkata. Even though she isn't in any hurry to win the race, the two-time National Award-winning actress from across the border sounded a touch disappointed as we caught up with her at her south Kolkata residence last Sunday.In between packing her stuff as she had a flight to Bangladesh and instructing the house helps, she told us why she has signed up for Indranil Roychowdhury's 30-minute film, Bhalobashar Shohor , how managing a home is never easy and why the thought of marriage gives her goosebumps.Here's Jaya Ahsan, unplugged.
You came to Kolkata three years back with a lot of hopes. Has it changed over the years?
To me, the most important thing is to keep working. I didn't come here with a roadmap. I was shooting in Bangladesh when, one day , Arindamda (Sil) called me. At first I didn't pay much heed as I didn't have any clue about films in Kolkata. Then, I came here and the process of being involved in work has mattered the most. More than where I am working it's important what I am doing. Having said that, I thought Tollywood would be a little more exciting and that work would be a bit more challenging. Also, it's a fact that you can't just keep working without a care in the world. It's important to build an image, keep in touch with people and choose the right projects. Tollywood has a tendency to typecast.
So, is there a fear of getting repeated?
After Aborto, I took a break as I was offered similar roles one after the other.Reason, I never took them up. The offers came from a few significant directors, but the characters were the same. Then Rajkahini happened. I liked the character, which was a far cry from what I am in real. Yes, it was a small role, but I still had a lot to do. I was immensely happy .
Didn't Rajkahini land you in a spot, in Bangladesh, where you were primarily criticised for two things -doing an intimate scene with Rudranil Ghosh and playing second fiddle to Rituparna Sengupta?
Yes, these were the two reasons why I got flak back home. See debates and criticism will always be there but I was sure of what I was doing. Author-backed characters are rampant, but it's a great challenge to prove oneself in limited space. I looked at the role from this perspective. I have played the lead in many movies, but the opportunity to shine in a character role doesn't come by every day . If the audience in Bangladesh got hurt because of this, I would say it's sad for me too. I want to see myself in different roles and did the movie with that conviction. Several popular names from Tollywood too did the same and among them, my character, I felt, was more significant than many .Rajkahini had an ensemble cast and that is what was expected.
There was news of a fatwa been issued in your name...
Someone could have said something about me which might have snowballed into a controversy , but there was no fatwa. I am an actress and it's an accepted fact that people will talk about me. It's not possible that I will only appreciate praises and no criticism. But then most was constructive criticism.
How did the controversy die down?
I just kept doing my work. There were some who pointed out about my acting and I didn't think it was important to listen to everything. The controversy died out on its own. Often, people stake claim in the life of actors. I am no different. So, out of concern, many talked about my bit in Rajkahini. A lot was written about on social media and I received threat mails; I thought it was important to prove a point through my work.
Your phone was switched off for about a month after Rajkahini's release...
Yes, I would get a lot of mails and not all of them were pleasant. But then, I got a lot of support from the government, which gave me police protection. My family was feeling a bit insecure and cops would accompany me everywhere.
You had earlier worked with Indranil Roychowdhury in Ekti Bangali Bhooter Goppo. What made you sign up for his short, Bhalobashar Shohor?
Kobida (Indranil) and I go back a long way . I saw his Phoring and thought it was an important film. Actually , not all films that you get can fulfil your creative desire. Bhalobashar Shohor is a 30-minute film, which will release online, but nowhere will the audience feel it's less than a full-length feature film. You have some responsibilities as an actor and that's what I felt while doing the film. There are things you do for bread and butter, there are others you do for yourself. It's an interesting story . Often we -middle-class Bengalis -treat news items as just that, news items. We don't think much about what is happening in another part of the world. In the Middle-East, there are several countries that are culturally very close to India. Even then, when disaster strikes there, we don't care much and go about our own lives. This movie will make people think that such a thing can happen to us, in India or in Bangladesh. The sensible audience will like it.
Tell us about your directors' wish list...
After Aborto, I did Eagoler Chokh with Arindamda. It's because of him that newer avenues have opened up for me. I have already worked with Srijit (Mukherji) and am dying to do a film with Shibuda (Shiboprosad Mukhopadhyay) and Nanditadi (Roy). I hope that happens soon. I would love be part of Kaushik Ganguly, Suman Mukhopadhyay and Raj Chakrabarty's films.
That apart, Buddhoda (Buddhadeb Dasgupta) and Goutam Ghose have forev er remained on my wish list. I don't mind doing commer cial movies, but dancing in half pants doesn't excite me much. Also, the fantasy scenes in foreign locations are so not me. Even if I do that ever, I would expect something in the story to satiate my creative hunger.
What's in the offing in Bangladesh?
I am about to start Noor Alam Atik's next. My first movie, Doobsatar, was with him. He enjoys life to the hilt and it reflects in his films. I am doing Peyarar Subash now and after that I will do his Lalmoroger Jhunti. I also did Putro, Khancha and Beauty Circus. All the characters are as different from each other as chalk is from cheese.Beauty Circus is about an artiste in a circus, who moves from one place to another. Peyarar Subash is more of a psychological trip. It's about a woman who discovers after marriage that her husband is a coffin maker. In Lalmoroger Jhunti, I will be playing a santhal from the '70s.Khancha again is about a woman who stays back in Bangladesh post Partition; the journey of her life is covered in the film. So, I am getting to play a variety, which I didn't see in Kolkata.
Do you have friends in the industry?
My dearest friends are mostly from outside the industry . In Kolkata, I also have a few family friends. That apart, I am in touch with some of the cast members of Rajkahini like Saayoni (Ghosh), Sudiptaadi (Chakraborty), Priyanka (Sarkar)...
Aren't you curious to know who is playing your character in the Hindi version of Rajkahini? Are you in regular touch with Srijit?
Srijit is very busy and I am not in touch with him on a day-to-day basis. He congratulated me after I got an award for Rajkahini recently . About the Hindi version, the backdrop is changing from India-Bangladesh Partition to India-Pakistan Partition. I am curious about how the film is developing... I don't know who is playing my character or if the char actor will at all be there.
The gossip doing the rounds in Tollywood after Rajkahini was that its maker wanted to marry you...
No, that's not true. All he asked me was if I was thinking about mar riage. There is nothing more to it than that. He is a dear friend. We became friends after meeting at a film festival. Back then, he was working on the script of Rajkahini; we kept in touch like two creative people do.
What was your response to Srijit's question?
I said the truth -I wasn't thinking about marriage. Also, I am very scared of marriage. Most women have this fear. I was married once, but it didn't work out. I don't blame any one as two good people too can't be happy together. Also, I am serious about everything in life. If you ask me to clean the dirt, I will do it as seri ously as I treat acting. I wouldn't say my experience in marriage was bad -it was a mix of good and bad. But I won't get into marriage again for the heck of it. When I do, I would do my best to make it work. Having said that, marriage is serious business; it's a full-time job.
Many people must have fallen for you in Kolkata...
Even if people are falling in love, their proposals are not reaching me...