I haven't thought of revisiting Draupadi: Roopa Ganguly

She has been busy shooting in Odisha as the main lead in Riingo's 'Na Hanyate'. The film also has her ex-partner, Dibyendu Mukherjee, (who has been rechristened as Sriram Yousuf) acting and composing the music.
What's best about Roopa is that she is professional to the core and doesn't carry any personal baggage while shooting for this film. For her, it's a job that needs to be done and beyond that, it's a life that has to be lived on her own terms.Excerpts from an interview:
Recently, Aparna Sen had come for the muharat of your film, 'Na Hanyate'. Is there anything specific that you learnt from her?
There are two statements that Rinadi made which I've held close to my heart. She told me that one has to learn to age gracefully. I've followed that to the core. The second statement was that one must learn to be oneself. Rinadi had told me: 'Be yourself and people will learn to accept you'. Actually, we all have our own limitations. But that doesn't mean we need to overdo anything to please others. It's been years since I stopped dressing up before attending a wedding. I mean, I don't make an effort to doll up because I am going somewhere. The day I am in a mood to dress up, I go all out. But dressing up is not mandatory for me. I would never feel conscious if I didn't wear a precious jewellery set to a party.
Isn't it difficult in your profession to be so free-spirited?
I was never born or groomed to be an actor. Acting just happened to me. I was never into manicure and pedicure. All through my growing years, I was told, 'lekha pora na korle buddhi bare na (I will not be intelligent if I don't study)'. In fact, there is such a dialogue in 'NH' too. I have seen a lot of hardships in my life ' both emotional and financial. My experiences have only strengthened my resolve to be the straightforward. That's my strength. But what's changed in me now is that today, I don't hurt people by being upfront if it's not required.
You've confessed on 'Sach Ka Saamna' that you had tried to commit suicide. Having suffered so much in your relationship, did you ever have suicidal tendencies recently?
No, I never felt that way.
Can you still trust people? Do you have faith in the word 'love'?
Yes, I still trust people. I've seen both the good and the bad side of life but I believe that if I am good to people, there will be those who will be good to me. Love is an eternal feeling. I have learnt not to describe and define it all the time. For a woman, love can reside without any attraction towards the opposite sex. If love dries up in a human being, it is a jolt to his or her existence. In 'NH', my character manages to exude so much of love despite going through turmoil.
How do you like the music of 'Na Hanyate' that's been scored by Sriram?
Why? Will you ask me the same question for all the movies that I'm doing? (laughs) The music is fantastic.
Nationally, people still remember you as Draupadi. If you were to revisit The Mahabharat today, which directors do you think would do justice to exploring Draupadi on the big screen?
I believe, I had given a very mediocre performance as Draupadi. I have never thought about revisiting her on the big screen. But since I am being asked, I would say Rinadi and Rituparno Ghosh are the two people who have the sensitivity to understand a woman's mind. There could be other directors who might do a great job of adapting The Mahabharat on the big screen but the sensitivity that these directors have is really moving. I sincerely feel that The Mahabharat has lot of contemporary relevance. Even the method in which Karna was born is akin to the process of artificial insemination.
After having worked in Mumbai for long, you suddenly gave up all and returned to Kolkata. How is your second innings in Bengali cinema going?
I'd say, this is my fourth innings. I've been pretty fortunate about being accepted in the industry after having quit it. I chose to take a break for one and a half years during my son's birth. Then, I took a break when I went to work in Mumbai for another one and a half years. After 'Antarmahal' and 'Krantikaal', I was so moved by my performances that for months on end I couldn't shoot. My role in Rituparno Ghosh's 'Antarmahal' was particularly difficult because I couldn't come to terms with how my on-screen character was told that the proof of her womanhood lay in the fact that she had to give birth to a child.
It's said that your next, 'Aboseshey', has almost been tailor-made for you...
Yes, the character is very close to me. In fact, there is one line in the film where I tell: 'Tomar boier molat gulo dewa holo na'. I have exactly gone through this phase with my son. Once, I had taken a late-night flight from Mumbai to Kolkata so that I could myself work on getting his book jackets in order. I spent a few hours in Kolkata and took the morning flight back to Mumbai.
Bengali cinema is seeing a lot of you now. Are you breaking the myth that there are few good roles available for female actors who don't want to dance around trees?
It's true that I am doing a lot of work now. I've always believed in the importance of the perfect time. Unlike Riingo's 'NH' or Aditi's 'Aboseshey', the other movies don't feature me in roles that require me to shoot for long. I am doing Srijit's next that will be shot in the Andamans. There's a family drama with Anjan Dutt and a film by Abhijit Dasgupta. Ashoke Viswanathan's 'Santiniketan' has me in an interesting role.
With so much work happening on the professional front now, do you have any regrets?
Very few. I wish, I could have learnt to speak English more effortlessly.
But you speak English well'
Yes, I do. But I really had to toil hard to reach this stage. I wish, I could have used that effort in something else. I also regret that two good films of mine ' 'Mayabazar' and 'Bayen' ' still haven't released.
You had taken a lie detector test for 'Sach Ka Saamna'. Do you think, you could take such a test now without being on national television? Can you face truths that a lie detector will say?
I can face anything. I feel, every individual should be put to test in front of a lie detector. It's important that we all face ourselves, our flaws and misconceptions.