Mimi Chakraborty was in North Bengal with her family when the Toofan song Laage ura dhura dropped. She was in a no-network zone and it took her a few hours to realise that the song had become so popular. On July 4, Mimi was in the theatre (for the premiere of the film) and she experienced the frenzy around the song as the audience broke into applause and cheers. “It was a very special moment... it felt amazing,” smiled Mimi. A t2 chat...
When did you first get to know about the songs Laage ura dhura and Dushtu kokil?
When I met the director (Raihan Rafi) for the first time, he told me about my two songs, and that they will become superhits... I asked him, ‘What does ura dhura mean?’ He said: ‘Fatafati.’ I was happy about the fact that I was going to dance in a film after a long time. Dancing is a great way to be in a happy state of mind. People find something to look forward to and get to participate in an activity that they like.
The first song dropped when I was in North Bengal with my family... and it notched up something around two million views in one day. Then it exploded and how! Before the release of Dushtu kokil, I had a feeling that it would be bigger.
Do you check the view count of your videos?
I usually don’t check. I feel it gets jinxed. When the production house tags me, then I check. When I release a song from my own channel, I check the views initially. After that, I don’t.
How was the response in Bangladesh?
The film is a huge hit in Bangladesh. My two songs are superhits. The audience there is warm and sincere just like our audience in Bengal. Our audiences are warm and genuine. They have made me... I am what I am today because of them. However, I have noticed recently that there are a few people who are trying to be pretentious. I don’t know why they are doing this. They have an air of snobbishness around them. They will click selfies with the actors and then say that they don’t watch Bengali movies.
Do you ever feel like switching off the comments section in a video?
No, one cannot run away from it. I don’t believe in that. So many people also talk about the positive things. I like to focus on that.
A commercial mainstream film came your way after some time...
I love it. It is larger than life, and I love doing commercial films! You get to dance, dress up, and travel to great locations… the characters are lively… such films don’t let you be so serious or intense (smiles). You know what you are doing. And I have really worked hard for it... I have seen the super peaks and I have seen the mid-lows. I realised that everything in the industry is related to your success. Once you are successful, people talk about it. So I just keep working hard. And still, I get comments like,’We don’t get to see you that much.’ My question: ‘Where do you want to see me?’
Over the years you have been accepted and celebrated in all kinds of films and shows...
I would love to explore everything. Making a mainstream film is tough...
Would you ever turn to direction?
Yes, I would like to do that. I would like to direct a film one day. I know how to take the shots; I know what lenses to use... I’m just searching for a story. I like the work that is behind the camera. I love to design a set. I am totally involved in every department of filmmaking. I’m sure the story will come to me at the right time. I have directed all my music videos. I have developed the storylines of those music videos. Also, I love editing.
When can we expect the film?
I don’t know the timeline but it will happen one day.
Would you act in your own film?
No. I will direct it... I won’t act in it. I want to look de-glam behind the camera! Sometimes people tell me that I look too glamorous. And on other occasions, they tell me that I look like a girl next door. I take it as a compliment since I guess I can pull off both.
What will be the genre of your debut directorial?
It will be a thriller.
Will there be a song-and-dance sequence?
A song-and-dance in a thriller? I don’t think there will be a space for that.
But songs are such an important part of your filmography?
Maybe I’ll only take part in that song-and-dance sequence then (laughs out loud).
What motivates you?
I love the process... that keeps me motivated... and then I travel, direct a music video or shoot a video for YouTube. At the beginning of my career, there was an intense struggle to prove myself.
And the praise and the adulation that you were getting then helped you to gain confidence?
When Gaaner Oparey was nearing the end, I got to know that people loved my work. There was no social media then. Now, I want to do good work and offer my audience something different.
Do you feel confident on the first day of a shoot?
It takes me a little bit of time to get into the groove on the first day. Also, I have social anxiety... so when I see a lot of unknown people on set, it takes me some time to settle down.
How do you look back at your career now? How do you look back at the time, say, around 10 years ago?
All my films were superhits. All the songs were superhits. It was a golden phase. The audience loved us. The appreciation just flowed... and there was no social media then. Now, we have come so close to the people through social media and yet we are so far away. There are people who are so judgmental on social media, and then there are the trolls. If you put up a nice picture after doing some good work, someone will comment on it and criticise it. If you don’t give pictures,they will say you are not working.
Does acting give you the same kind of happiness now?
Yes, I love acting. A good script makes me happy. A good environment makes me happy.
Do you set goals for yourself?
I know what I have to achieve. I am an ambitious person. I have a lot more to achieve. I believe in working hard.