Exclusive! Felu Mittir Lane-actress Satakshi Nandy: I refuse to play characters that stereotype me for the way I look

It took Satakshi Nandy more than a decade to finally become a popular name after her portrayal of Radha in the popular web series Birohi. Earlier, she worked in some interesting independent films, including Ashish Avikunthak’s 2013 film Rati Chakravyuh, Abhiroop Basu’s Gudiya, and others. She is also a part of Hoichoi’s popular franchise, Indu, in which she plays an important character, Sundori. She will soon be seen in Platform 8’s Felu Mittir Lane. Directed by Arijeet Toton Chakrabarty, the web show also features Loknath Dey, Debojyoti Roy Choudhury, Chanda Chatterjee, and Subimal Dutta. 

Talking about her character in Felu Mittir Lane, Satakshi said, “I play the character of Chapa – a feisty and independent woman. While she is outspoken and appears to be feisty, she dreams of having her family and doing her work. She is an independent character.”  

Satakshi has been working in the industry for a while, she could only explore films that are offbeat, and popular in the festival circuit. “Even after working here for years, I still get offers of domestic helps or similar characters. I have no problem whatsoever in working on a character who works as a domestic help. But I have a problem with stereotyping my look. In Hoichoi's Indu, I play the character of Sundori and that character itself is super. It has a journey and it spreads out well. This in not the characters I am usially offered. I only get characters of a typical class, behaving only in a very simlar way. I am an actress and I would like to explore all sorts of characters. But I am often denied that. I am told that I have an ‘unconventional’ look. But that doesn’t mean that I will have to limit my scope. I cannot limit my skills because people cannot think of casting me beyond domestic help. These days I refuse such characters,” said the actress said. 

Also read: Indu 2 review: It’s official! Ishaa Saha’s thriller banks on manufactured suspense due to a lack of content 

Meanwhile, Satakshi worked with serious directors on independent projects. “Ashish Avikunthak’s 2013 film Rati Chakravyuh, Abhiroop Basu’s Gudiya, Tanmay Chowdhary, Tanvi Chowdhary's Madhu and several others travelled to multiple reputed festivals. When I get offers from such films, I don’t think twice to agree. And then I agree with the characters like Radha in Birohi and Chapa in Felu Mittir Lane. These are meaty characters. After working in Birohi, my popularity rose. Regular people come and talk to me, take selfies, and genuinely appreciate my work,” she said.

The actress also believes that consistency is the key. “I am very serious about my work and I take care of my skills. I would like to explore my ability in diverse characters,” said Satakshi.