When Bengali beauty Paoli Dam debuted in Bollywood as the sultry seductress, Kavya Krishna, in Hate Story, she was in no time making headlines for being the gorgeous sex siren. In her next, however, the actress has taken the de-glam route to play the character of a slum woman for Nila Madhab Panda’s Halka. In an interview to The City Express, the actress reveals how she remained unkempt during the film’s shooting to look like a slum-dweller.
“My base was toned down. My hair needed to look rough. So, I didn’t shampoo my hair during the shooting period to get the desired texture. The character that I am playing in the movie works in an agarbatti (incense sticks) factory, so her complexion had to be little darkened. I didn’t do my eyebrows. The skin required to look dry and rough. I didn’t moisturize my skin. In fact, I stayed a little unkempt throughout the shooting period. Thus, the look came naturally and organically in me,” she said.
Interestingly, the actress visited the slum at Delhi’s Pragati Maidan area, where the film was shot, to observe how people there live, talk or dress-up. Her observation of the slum-dwellers helped her to adopt the look of Pichku’s mother, Sobha (the name of her character in the film).
It might be her first film with an Odisha-born filmmaker, but the actress had a chance to work in an Odia film in the past. “I was a Television actress, when an Odia filmmaker had approached me for an Ollywood film. I couldn’t accept the offer because I had already signed a Goutam Ghosh’s film, Kalbela. I have, however, seen some of the Odia films, in which Rachana di had acted. Though, I am unaware of the latest releases there. If I get a good offer from Odisha in future, I might as well accept it,” she added.
So, how did she receive the offer for Halka? “Director Onir is a friend of mine. I received a call from him one day. He told me that Nila was trying to contact me. Later, when Nila connected to me, I was excited to work with him as I had loved watching his movie ‘I am Kalam’. When I first heard the movie’s title, I couldn’t help laughing though!” she added. The actress said the film’s title was apt as it described defecation with such ease.
The actress said it was a challenge for her to play the character of a mother in the film. “I had never played a mother before. It was the most challenging part. I wasn’t apprehensive about the de-glamourization because I feel there’s beauty even in that. However, I had doubts whether I would be able to understand the emotions of a mother and portray it on screen. It was a challenge. I accepted it. I remembered how my mother and grandmother used to behave. This helped me to shape myself as a mother on-screen,” she added. Paoli could connect to the strength of Sobha in her real life.
She had a great time working with Nila and Ranveer Shorey. “Nila Madhab gives space to the actors. The set, lighting and every other technical stuff was arranged as per the actor’s choice. He would give us half an hour to rehearse the scene before the shoot’s commencement,” she said.
Halka is a movie about the struggle of the child Pichku, a slum dweller, who faces adversities and lack of facilities. The movie also addresses the issue of open defecation as Pichku refuses to attend nature’s call in the open.