I'm not a tantrum queen: Ananya

No, she isn���������t arrogant or snooty. Nor does she have a superiority complex. Even after her role in ���������Abohomaan��������� won her the National Award for the Best Actress, Ananya Chatterjee tries to reason with CT about why she hasn���������t got a film offer as yet.
What does a National Award do to a heroine���������s career in a male-dominated industry?
It makes her believe in honesty, dedication, patience and robs her off sleep for want of working better.
What did it do to your career in Tollywood in terms of getting roles?
I had a great experience at the Award ceremony. MS Sathyu introduced himself saying that he makes films and that he has been wanting to meet me since he has seen such interesting work of mine in ���������Dwando���������, ���������Angshumaner Chhobi��������� and ���������Abohomaan���������, which were in the run for the National Award. He said he was thinking of a story with me. Ramesh Sippy said that he had noticed that I had different body language in the three films. But, I haven���������t yet got any film offers after my Award. I���������m back to shooting for ���������Subarnalata��������� and not basking in the glory of my Award.
A National Award should mean that there���������s also a stamp for your talent. What then is the deterrent? Are you an indisciplined professional?
No. I am impulsive and spontaneous. I���������ve been over-hyped as a moody person. I wouldn���������t expect anyone to really understand me. How many people do I understand? I might be running around on the sets all day and if, on one particular day, I don���������t do it, people are quick to brand me as moody. I don���������t misbehave. I���������m often called a ���������pagli���������. It���������s a word-of-mouth publicity for me. I remember a Dharmendra and Hema Malini movie which had a scene where both stole a glance at each other. But when others spoke about the meeting of the two, they mentioned how the duo had held hands and walked into the horizon together. That���������s what happens in my case. I am a victim of generation gain.
Is that the reason why directors, who praise you for your acting, don���������t approach you with roles?
A day before Suman Ghosh was to start shooting with me for ���������Dwando���������, he was told to drop me because of my attitude. But he stuck to his decision and once the film got over, he told me that my behaviour didn���������t match with whatever has been said about me. Before Rituparno Ghosh cast me for ���������Abohomaan���������, he told me that he had been hearing that I was a kind of a maverick etc. He had said, ���������Tell me what it is about you that I need to know.��������� I loved Rituda���������s attitude. I told him that I am accused of being arrogant, snooty and tantrum-prone. Neither of these are true.
Why would people call you a trantrum queen without a reason?
If I see an used tissue in the make-up room, I do get upset. That���������s the space an actor needs to get into a character���������s mindset. If I raise my voice when I see that place being kept dirty, I see no reason why I should be labelled tantrum-prone. I���������m not a tantrum queen. Having said that, I admit to being self-introspective.
Considering that you were into academics before you chanced upon movies, does the baggage of
knowledge make you a little distant?
No. I don���������t believe in superiority. That���������s the basic understanding that education gives to a person. I try to communicate with a person according to his/her needs. I���������m not a showoff.
Many actors live a cushioned existence and often allow themselves to be pampered by a core group of friends. Do you belong to that group?
Though I take my own decisions, I have people to fall back on. I am not pampered and my friends are the first to criticize me if I go wrong.
Paoli���������s branding as an actor is like yours though she started out later than you did. Why is it that she has so many number of films and you don���������t?
I never think of who is getting more films and who isn���������t. I am not in the rat race. I���������ve already got a National Award by just doing three movies, of which one had me in a cameo. I haven���������t seen any of Paoli���������s movies yet. I had seen a bit of her work on television and had liked it.
Finally, what does love and marriage mean to you?
I believe in bookish love. Love is about commitment, when one makes compromises without feeling that one is doing so. Marriage, for me, is important and I love the rituals of this institution too.
Is there any pressure from your mother to settle down?
No. She would like me to have someone to depend on. Besides, I���������m constitutionally very weak. My mother does ask me to think of getting married. Right now, I don���������t have the tenacity to really look around for someone to fall in love with. If it happens, it���������s fine. I believe in destiny.
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