For Madhumita Sarcar, it is all about taking challenges and learning new things. In a candid chat, Madhumita shared her dreams of working beyond Bengal and why her recent release Cheeni 2, directed by Mainak Bhaumik, is special.

Your character in Cheeni 2 is completely different from the one you played in the 2020 film Cheeni.

Madhumita Sarcar: Yes. Cheeni is a very confident woman in this film. She knows what she is doing but she feels broken and alone. She is a problem solver but she’s stuck in all kinds of problems. Mainak-da (Mainak Bhaumik) has made me learn so much from this character.

In the first film, Cheeni was an advertising professional who was torn between her family, comprising her mother Mishti (played by Aparajita Adhya), and the prospect of settling down with her long-time boyfriend Sudip (played by Saurav Das).

Cheeni and Mishti are not daughter and mother in Cheeni 2. Here, Mishti is a homemaker who feels taken for granted by her husband and ignored by her children. Cheeni is a costume stylist who is full of life and has big dreams. The two meet when Cheeni moves out of her house and decides to stay in a rented place, which happens to belong to Mishti. The women bond over their shared struggles and embark on a journey of self-discovery.

Your chemistry with Aparajita Adhya has been crucial for both the films…

Madhumita Sarcar: Working with Apa-di (Aparajita Adhya) has always been great. She’s a great actor and at the same time a great professional. I don’t meet her often but whenever we meet on the sets we connect very well. I feel so comfortable working with her. This time we share a different chemistry on screen.

How has it been like reuniting with Mainak Bhaumik for Cheeni 2?

Madhumita Sarcar: Working with Mainak-da was my first priority. He said Cheeni 2 was going to be a thematic sequel to Cheeni. I agreed immediately. Cheeni (sugar) is not a separate dish but it adds taste to other dishes. Similarly, the people around Cheeni are like different dishes and she adds taste to the dishes. This is the intention of the film.

You are going to make your Bollywood debut soon with Farz. Tell us about it.

Madhumita Sarcar: I still cannot believe that I am working on a Hindi project. We are going to start shooting soon. The film is a relationship drama. It is Preetam Mukherjee’s Hindi directorial debut. He has directed the Bengali film Rish, and the web series Dr. Gangulyr Diary. He liked my acting and screen presence. I absolutely loved the story.

You are taking spoken Hindi classes for the film…

Madhumita Sarcar: Yes. It is extremely challenging. I really like taking challenges. I learnt Telugu for a Telugu film and I’m also learning Tamil for a Tamil film. I’m always engaged in some activity or the other. Being willing to learn a language is very good for mental health.

How has it been to work on the Telugu film?

Madhumita Sarcar: It was amazing. For the Telugu film Oke Oka Aasa, I had to learn the language and diction. It’s a romantic drama, directed by scriptwriter Sankar. I’m paired opposite Rakesh Varre, who was in Bahubali. Vishal Chandrashekhar, who scored the music for Sita Ramam, is composing the music of this film. Director Sankar had seen Cheeni and liked my performance. He didn’t want anybody to dub for me, so I took some time and learnt the language. I am also working on a Tamil film. It is in the scripting stage.

What do you feel is the difference between the regional film industries?

Madhumita Sarcar: The approach is different, but it depends on the budget. The South film industries can reshoot a scene as many times as they want. The makers of my Telugu film made me go to Hyderabad four times for a single scene. We shot it in four different styles. They have the budget. They know how to experiment. But they are envious of the fact that Bengalis are rich in literature.

What are your plans for the future?

Madhumita Sarcar: I want to do good films regardless of the language. I am ready to take on challenges and learn new languages. A good film is all that I want to do. I want to be known as an Indian actor, not just a Bengali actor.