What role do you play in Calendar Girls?
I play Sharon Pinto, who is from Goa while I am a Bengali from Kolkata. She is young, fun loving, adventurous girl who opts for a bikini shoot for a calendar. She is grounded to her culture and nobody can take her for granted.
One of the other five Calendar Girls plays a Bengali. Would you have preferred to do that one?
That role was already taken. I am very happy to play Sharon. I wouldn’t exchange my role with anyone!
Was it easy to adjust when you shifted from Kolkata to Mumbai?
I had no clue what this industry is all about. I saw the real side of it while I was working as a model. Sharon too sees the good and dark side of the industry.
Tell us a little more about your yourself
I was a model and in 2013, I did the Kingfisher calendar. I came to know about this film and I thought this was it. Somewhere, I thought it was destiny and Madhur sir agreed with me.
Madhur Bhandarkar said you were the last girl signed for the film.
Yes. I gave the audition and everyone told me I had nailed it. But soon I heard that four girls have already signed the film while I am not. Disappointed I was going back home to Kolkata when Madhur sir called.
How is Madhur as a director?
He is so chilled out! I have seen all his films; I was the girl who bought all his DVDs before the auditions. He knows his job very well. I wasn’t very confident about one scene and wanted to do better but Madhur sir told me I had done great. After I saw the monitor, I was amazed myself!
Did you get along with the other girls or were there any catfights?
The five of us are a gang that is talking and laughing all the time. We are noisy and we think we can take over the world! I am from a girls’ school and I know how it is growing up with girls.
Madhur sir has found five of us who are poles apart but we make a lovely cocktail when you put us together.
What is your plan after this film?
I am busy completing the shoot of my second film XXX which is produced by Balaji Productions and directed by Ken Ghosh. My co-star is Rithvik Dhanjani. There are short stories in the film, and I am a part of the narrative. Hopefully, it will be ready for release next year. I feel lucky because my first film is with Madhur sir and I have already bagged my second film.