Speaking with Subhash K Jha, Rituparna Sengupta full of admiration, discusses the great Aparna Sen.
What is your Rishta with the great Aparna Sen?
I am totally in awe of her.She is one lady who has always made a difference with her work, be it acting or directing. Her choice of films as an actor always fetched her great critical acclaim. She was the cynosure of all eyes as one of the greatest of directors.
Her impact as a director is exceptional?
You can say that again. She had the guts to do films like Parama, Sati, 36 Chowringhee Lane…way back when audiences awakened to kind her cinema.
Would you agree Aparna Sen paved the way for an actress like you in Bengal?
Oh, absolutely! Female protagonists saw a new era with her films. I was privileged to work in Paromitar Ek Din directed by her, and also as a co-actress in my first film Shwet Pathorer Thala…and also in movies like Basu Poribar. I am a great admirer of her work.
You also share a personal rapport with her?
Oh yes! I am loved and pampered by her too. We have a distant relationship in the family too which I came to know later from my mom whom I lost a few months back…since we belong to the same clan of Vaidyas …the Sens and Senguptas…from my father’s side we have a connection.
How would you define the magic of Aparna Sen?
She is our pride and treasured possession.She is our national treasure, an internationally acclaimed personality. Wishing her a long life happiness and enormous creativity. We are blessed to have her in our lives.We fondly call her Rinadi and she addresses me Rituma, like her daughter.
