Jibon Saathi kept me creatively occupied amid the pandemic when many had no job: Indrani Dutta

Known for her elegance and charm, actress Indrani Dutta has been a part of many films. She has worked with many renowned directors as well. ETimes TV caught up in a conversation with the actress while she was returning home from the shooting sets of the television serial ‘Jibon Saathi’. The conversation travelled through a lot of stations-right from her love for film, need of being creatively busy, why she agreed to play Salankara in ‘Jibon Saathi’ and most importantly a confession that most stars wouldn’t make it. Read on…

(By: Rupsa SenGupta)

Indrani has worked with renowned directors like Tarun Majumder, Biresh Chatterjee, Prabhat Roy and others. When asked about her experience, Indrani adds, “I have always been blessed to work with the eminent directors who helped me to grow as an actor. I got the opportunity to work with the veteran directors like Tarun Majumder, Basu Chatterjee, Biresh Chatterjee and many others. I have learned a lot from them, especially the dedication and honest effort they used to put for every single project. The day Basu Chatterjee passed away, I was recalling memories. He asked me to stay in Mumbai and work. But my daughter was already born and I decided to stay in Kolkata.” (Photo: Facebook)

‘Jibon Saathi’ is not her first project on television. Other than playing Goddess Durga in ‘Mahalaya’ special programs, Indrani has been a part of a number of telly projects - be it ‘Chiro Kumar Sabha’ or Rajit Kapur starrer ‘Byomkesh Bakshi’. “My introduction with television goes back to a long way. I have been a part of the telly ventures directed by Tarun Majumder, Biresh Chatterjee or other eminent directors who mesmerised us with their craftsmanship,” says the actress. (Photo: Facebook)

Indrani played a meaty role in the television adaptation of Sharadindu Bandyopadhyay’s ‘Byomkesh Bakshi’ starring Rajit Kapur as Byomkesh Bakshi, and K.K. Raina as Ajit. “It was a wonderful experience. I was playing a housewife whose precious necklace gets stolen. As a co-star Rajit Ji was very much helpful. He asked me not to be conscious about pronunciation since it might affect my performance. He put me at ease within a second,” she recalls.

“I am mostly busy with the dance classes, shows within and outside the country as well as acting projects. During the pandemic, I suddenly found myself in a different state. I had nothing more than holding on-line dance classes. There were no dance shows. How much one can get occupied by household chores or watch television,” she adds. (Photo: Facebook)

The actress is seen on television after a very long time. Speaking about the reason, she said, “After the lockdown, I got a call from Snehasish Chakraborty and he offered me the show. I agreed to do that almost immediately. He is a well-known director and I wanted to work with him. Moreover, it would keep me creatively busy when many people don’t have any job during the pandemic. It will keep me busy, help me earn a bit. So why not?”

When asked how she can confess all these, when most of the stars would like to openly talk, Indrani laughed. After a brief pause, she adds, “There is nothing wrong in being honest. The crisis has affected everyone in different ways.” (Photo: Facebook)

Indrani candidly stated that when it comes to acting, the medium is not important. What matters is the audience. “I never had any apprehension about working in television. The television serials increase your popularity and not the opposite. Moreover, I don’t have any risk. The only difference I found between a TV show and film was that we couldn’t see the monitor while shooting for a film. But these days, TV shows work on a high speed, so I don’t get the time to look at the monitor too,” she said with a smile. (Photo: Facebook)

The actress is playing a successful business woman who runs her fashion label. She is determined, strong, independent and believes in beauty. “Salankara has different shades. She is successful, strong, determined and controls her house. She fails to accept when her son gets married to another girl instead of whom she had chosen. She fails to accept the new daughter-in-law. Salankara isn’t a negative character. She has her reasons to behave this way,” Indrani explains.

The show has many young actors like Rudrajit Mukherjee, Diya Basu, Sayanta karmakar, Shrabani Bhunia and others. Indrani enjoys working with them. “It is a wonderful experience to work with these young and passionate talents. They bring energy to the set. I still consider myself as a learner and every time I visit the set, face the camera, meet these young talents, I learn something new. That’s what keeps me motivated. That’s what keeps me going,” she signed out with a smile. (Photo: Facebook)