|
 Sameera Reddy seems to have found unexpected fame in West
Bengal, what with one of the region's most prominent directors
Buddhadeb Dasgupta having taken a fancy to her. After "Kaalpurush",
she features in his quasi-satire on voyeurism "Ami, Yasin Arr Amar
Madhubala", which heads for the Toronto Film Festival in
September.
Sameera, who is on cloud nine, told IANS: "Imagine, a Reddy is a
star in Ghosh-land. It was a challenge and I'm glad I proved equal
to it. I'm going to Toronto on Sep 8. I guess this is a time of
remarkable reckoning in my career."
"While 'Kaalpurush' has just won the National Award for best
film, 'Ami Yasin Arr Amar Madhubala', where I play Madhubala, is
going to the Toronto Film Festival."
"Ami, Yasin Arr Amar Madubala", which tackles the prickly subject
of voyeurism and the invasion of private feminine space through the
intrusive male gaze, will shown in the prestigious 'Masters'
section at the Toronto fest.
The actress, who has lately assumed the mantle of a social
activist, is much gratified.
"Dada (Dasgupta) is a master moviemaker. His confidence in me has
given me great confidence as an actress. You know, we were having a
press conference for 'Kaalpurush' when he announced, 'Sameera is
doing my next film'. That's how I got to know I was doing a
second film with dada.
"Everyone discouraged him from signing a glamorous Mumbai actress
in a deglamourised role. Today, I'm seen as more Bengali than the
Bengali actresses in Kolkata. After doing two films with me in
Bengali he's now planning a third one with me."
Kolkata is abuzz with stories of how Sameera has become Dasgupta's
muse.
"If I am dada's muse I'm too flattered to be embarrassed," she
said. "I can never say no to him. I did his second film and will do
a third and as many as he wants me to. I'm putty in his hands."
Sameera will be at the Toronto fest with not just "Ami Yasin..."
but also Mira Nair's short film on AIDS migration.
"Two films at the same festival... I couldn't ask for more."
As for being feted as a Bengali actress, Sameera shrugs, "Have you
seen 'Chak De! India'? Can we stop being praant (state)-fixated?
Indian cinema is no longer about just Bollywood.
"I'm proud to be doing films in Hindi, Bengali Telugu and Tamil.
And please bring on more languages."
By Subhash K. Jha
|
