I have deleted the chapter called Raj from my life: Paayel Sarkar

You had apparently signed Arindam Sil���s Eagoler Chokh without even reading the script���
I had worked with Arindamda earlier and have complete faith in him as a director and more importantly, as a person. I know if he offers me a role, it will be beneficial for both me and the film. Like an actor has to prove her mettle to a director, the latter has to do the same to his actors.In our case, we both have done that, so I didn���t bother to hear the script. Shabar Dasgupta, as a sleuth, is not as famous as Feluda or Byomkesh, yet Arindamda has managed to establish Brand Shabar. Being a police officer working in the detective department, Shabar is not larger than life, but there���s a lot of curiosity around him. The credit for that goes to Arindamda.
Apart from Saswata (Chatterjee) and Subhrajit (Dutta), the director repeated June and you in the second instalment of Shabar. How different is Eagoler Chokh from the first edition?
You should ask Arindamda why he repeated me. As an actress, I try to deliver what my director wants from me. I guess Arindamda is happy with my work. Eagoler Chokh is edgier than the first film, where there was a romantic angle. This film deals with complicated relationships. It revolves around Bishan (Anirban Bhattacharya), a victim of child abuse, who considers women as mounds of flesh. So, there���s sex in this film.
It���s not just a whodunit, but a fast-paced, psychological film made in a stylish way. Arindamda too has evolved with this film, which is made on a bigger canvas.
The film has bold scenes as it deals with sexual abuse. How comfortable were you doing the steamy scenes that too with a newcomer like Anirban Bhattacharya?
Anirban is a brilliant actor, who keeps you on your toes during the shoot and that, in a way, helps deliver better. The story demands eroticism and I had full faith in Arindamda���s aesthetic sense. No one knows it better than my director how orthodox I am. I am not comfortable doing kissing or lovemaking scenes, though I kissed in Chotushkone. Herein comes your trust and dependence on your director and DoP. I asked Arindamda how much do I need to reveal and he assured me that nothing will look obnoxious on screen. I don���t have a single lovemaking or kissing scene in the film nor am I wearing revealing clothes, but it is through my body language and dialogues that I tried to bring out the boldness of my
character (Nandini).
Tell us more about Nandini.
Nandini is a multi-layered character and the audience will not be able to figure out if she is good or bad. She is a smart girl who can go to any extent to get what she wants in life. Nandini is manipulative, passionate and this is radically opposite to what I played in Ebar Shabar. Each and every character in this film is multi-layered and there is a constant conflict going on between the conscious and the subconscious. At times, this conflict leads to problems and on other occasions, it provides solution to problems.
Subhashree, Nusrat Jahan, Mimi Chakraborty, Koushani and others are labelled as commercial heroines. While Raima Sen, Paoli, Sohini Sarkar, Saayoni Ghosh are known for offbeat films. In which category do you belong?
I am a versatile actress who can do both and I have proved it too! I can do Jamai 420 and a film like Chotushkone with ease and that speaks a lot about my credibility as an actress. I feel Ritudi (Rituparna Sengupta) is the biggest example of this. She can do Paromitar Ekdin and Sasurbari Zindabad at the same time and get applause for both. So, I don���t want to be labelled as a commercial or an art film actress; I am capable of managing both.
You seem more at peace with yourself after getting into a relationship with Abir Sengupta���
Oh, yes! Being with Abir makes me happy and I guess he too feels the same.
Your long-distance relationship is making you unavailable in Kolkata at times. Isn���t it affecting your work?
This is ridiculous! Whenever a heroine is in a relationship, people will say she is not interested in her work anymore as she is giving more time to the man in her life. Who said she can���t manage both? I chalk out my schedule much before and only in my free time I fly to Mumbai to be with Abir. I know I will start Kamalda���s (Kamaleswar Mukherjee) film soon, so I have to work out my schedule accordingly. No one is a fool to compromise on work.
Your beau, Abir, had accused many producers and directors during release of his first film, Jomer Raja Dilo Bor, of causing hindrance to his film. Many of the accused are your friends���
I guess there were issues��� but I prefer not to talk about it now as I can���t change what happened then.
Hadn���t Abir invited Raj Chakrabarty to watch the film?
(Laughs out loud) Oh yes, Raj came to watch the film from interval. Then he told Abir he enjoyed the movie. Tell me how on earth can one say whether a film is good or bad just by watching it post-interval? Absurd!
When you look back, do you feel cheated?
I did feel cheated by Raj, but I have deleted that chapter from my life. I don���t feel anything anymore now. I have moved on��� Now I look through Raj; to me, he is transparent.
When you compare your past relationship with the present one, do you feel blessed?
Why should I compare Abir with any X, Y or Z? No way.
Will you work with Raj in the near future?
I will cross the bridge when I come to it. (After a pause) I will not like to be a part of films that he is making for the past few years as I feel Raj is capable of doing much more.
You are in Cholochitro Circus and had issues with its producer, Rana Sarkar. Will you stay away from the promotions?
On social media, the producer announced that he is discarding me from the film���s promotions. Isn���t it a crime? And everyone knows why he did that. So, I will not be part of the film���s promotions as I am not at his beck and call. In the near future, I will not be part of any film produced by him. When I make a choice, I stick to my decision, no
matter what.