PremiumExclusive! Oindrila Sen: Actresses aren’t about looking good and dancing well, she needs to act well to have a sustainable career
The actresses debuted on OTT with Shwetkali on Zee5
Last Updated: 01.15 PM, Feb 27, 2023
Oindrila Sen’s OTT debut Shwetkali has garnered positive reviews from different quarters. Her performance is liked by viewers and critics alike. Directed by Sani Ghose Ray, the Zee5 series also features Shaheb Bhattacherjee and Sourav Chakraborty. In a candid chat, Oindrila talks about her OTT debut, how she deals with social media, her wedding plans, and a lot more. Read on…
Shwetkali is your debut on OTT. Tell us how did you get the offer?
I was getting offers for web series. And then this offer came. I generally like thrillers. I liked the story and then I got to know it will be on Zee5. It wasn’t planned but things worked. We shot the show 10 months ago.
How was your experience?
Sanida (Ghose Ray, director) is cool-minded and sorted. We did a few workshops. He knows what he wants from the set. He knows what shot he wants and hence there were no extra takes, etc. The shoot went on peacefully. He took care of shots. Also, he has a fantastic team.
This is the first time you worked with Sourav Chakraborty and Shaheb Bhattacherjee. How are they as co-actors?
We shot for about 18 days, hence, it was not a shoot in rush. We had time. We shot peacefully. This was the first time I was working with Shaheb and Souravda. I still knew Souravda but had no interaction with Shaheb whatsoever before this shoot. I am very social and took little time to break the ice. Also, barring the young kid in the show, I was the youngest. Hence, everyone used to pull my leg. It was fun working with them.
Do you think with OTTs, women-centric content is getting better scopes?
When OTT first started in Bengal (or in India), it used to be the same old stories seen by the male gaze. Over a long period, it went through a massive transformation. The makers and the platforms realised that there is an audience for female-centric content. It is not established that an actress is not just about looking good, having a good figure, and can dance. She needs to act at par with her male counterpart and only then there will be a sustainable career for her. When a film is made in Hollywood, no one checks out if the actors and actresses have enough satellite pull. There, performance matters. This will percolate here as well. We, the actresses will also have to believe in ourselves and give 100%.
You are insanely popular on social media. Do you see it as a bane or a boon?
I use social media for my work. I don’t feel the pressure of posting some mindless content every day. I post when I do a photoshoot. If there is a release, or some social media promotion is required, I post. I have a team that takes care of the post. Also, I try to come up with innovative content. Ankush is very good at that. We don’t want our feed to look boring. Also, I don’t let social media invade my privacy. I use it as part of my work.
What about trolls? You get to see them a lot as well…
I am all for constructive criticism. If someone watches my film and says I couldn’t act, I will accept. If someone brings my family, and parents and blames them for my work, I don’t let it go. I call out when someone trolls involving my parents, and near and dear ones. I have also seen in this world of social media, creative people have fewer followers than those who bad mouth others and produce content laden with sexual innuendoes. This makes me think if we have rotted this much!
Tell us, when are you getting married?
Soon. Ankush says we work hard to earn money and since we don’t have any godfather, we should not waste our money by splurging on our wedding. But I don't buy that. I want to have a big fat Bengali wedding as every woman does. I will dress up like a bride and Ankush with wear topor like a groom.