director-actor Aparna Sen with actor-daughter Konkona Sen Sharma has been honoured with the Zee Astitva Award for their outstanding contribution to cinema.
Award winning film-maker Aparna Sen on her daughter, films and soul-mate Shabana Azmi
Close to her film '15 Park Avenue' being selected for the National Award for the Best English Film, director-actor Aparna Sen with actor-daughter Konkona Sen Sharma has been honoured with the Zee Astitva Award for their outstanding contribution to cinema.
Ask Aparna, who has been nurtured on the acuity of her father, veteran critic and film-maker Chidananda Dasgupta and enjoyed a creative synergy with the legendary Satyajit Ray, to evaluate her strengths and she replies, "I haven't resorted to formula. My films aren't imitations of Hollywood films. They've had original scripts. I've not compromised artistic decisions for commerce."
Premium projects
Presently working on 'The Japanese Wife', based on Kunal Basu's short story, Aparna views it as 'a love poem on celluloid'. Quiz why she opted for actor Raima Sen to pair opposite Rahul Bose, instead of home-grown talent Konkona and she reasons, "There's a shaant and innocent quality about Raima. Her expressions are guileless."
Aparna will also be venturing into comedy with the film 'The Jewellery Box' based on Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay's story. "It's about three generations of women and their changing attitudes viewed through a box of jewels," she discloses.
Scanning relationships
Aparna, whose films including '36 Chowringee Lane', 'Paroma' or 'Mr and Mrs Iyer', have had a soft-spot for women, nevertheless adds, "I'm compassionate towards men too!" Revelling in the human psyche she adds, "I'm an incurable romantic. I like the subtleties, the surprises and the contradictions in relationships."
My daughter, my pride
Analysing Konkona, the actor, she says, "She's honest, instinctive and innovative. She is a dream to work with. And she's also free to say 'no' to me." On their personal symbiosis Aparna divulges, "We're very close. Our sense of aesthetics, sensibilities and values are the same. Her voice, body language and expressions are similar to mine."
Woman's woman
Aparna reveres her bond with actor Shabana Azmi too. "She's strong, yet not aggressive. She's a director's actor and cares about the film, which is rare. She's a soul-mate, a mentor, a constant benign companion on the sets." Listed once as one of the most beautiful women in India, Aparna ends, "It's spirituality, which keeps me going-not religiosity."
k_farhana@dnaindia.net
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