Rukmini Maitra chats about playing a double role in the sci-fi comedy Boomerang, working with Jeet and her upcoming projects.

How did Boomerang come your way?

Rukmini Maitra: I have worked with Jeet’s production house before in the film Switzerland. Coincidentally, the director was Sauvik Kundu. Back in 2018, he happened to watch a play, Punaray Ruby Ray, from which Boomerang is adapted. He had discussed the subject with Jeet’s production team and they loved it. Then Sauvik came to me and said, ‘I have a film to offer and it’s a double role; one role is of a human and the other is of a robot.’ That excited and intrigued me at the same time. We watched the play at the Academy of Fine Arts and I loved it. I loved Monalisa Chatterjee’s performance in the play.

What was the experience of playing a double role like?

Rukmini Maitra: This journey involved long, extensive workshops and discussions, planning the body language, movements and demarcating the features of the two characters Nisha and Isha. I was particular about the fact that if I did a double role, it had to be a memorable one.

Most of the characters I have played have had their own set of challenges because we are always playing something which we are not most of the time. The way I had to perform the two characters in a short span of time was difficult. I would play Isha in a scene and go and immediately change into Nisha and continue the same scene. The robot’s (Nisha) makeup would take almost two hours. I used to be in the makeup chair for long hours. I would be the first one to enter the set in the morning and the last one to leave.

In Boomerang, Nisha is a humanoid robot. What did the preparation involve?

Rukmini Maitra: I did a few workshops with Monalisa Chatterjee, who plays Nisha in the theatre production. I had an extensive workshop session with my director. I think there was a lot of mathematics involved regarding how she would move, how she would look, how much she could move her eyeballs; it was a lot of these little things that helped build the character. There was a lot of breathwork involved. The chest and body movements were very important as I was playing a robot. There was an eye movement, which I had to perform. I had to hold it in the long scenes and it was difficult. Nisha cannot blink.

Very recently during our hall visit to Nandan, I dressed up as Nisha and was on the podium for 10-15 minutes straight. It was not part of the plan and it was like live theatre. I was very determined that I was not going to break character. From the time I entered Nandan to the time I left the first traffic signal from Nandan, I was Nisha. I just wanted people to believe that I was Nisha. This was a token of love and surprise for my audiences who have given me all their love.

How was it to work with Jeet?

Rukmini Maitra: The wonderful part is that he allows me to have my own space. He allows me the comfort of both a friend and an artist. Comfort is also about what you provide to your co- actor on the set while they are performing. That is something I genuinely needed in the film. I needed support. It is a blast to work with Jeet because the relationship I share with him is like family. We have a lot of adda sessions on the set. I genuinely treasure and cherish our bond. To have that by my side is beautiful. I have experienced him as a producer, actor and human being, and I am really happy.

Post-Sanak, are offers from Bombay coming your way?

Rukmini Maitra: In Bombay, the ball game is very different. When I was filming Binodini, a lot of projects from Bombay came my way, which clashed because of Binodini. I was so into Binodini that I didn’t want to think about anything else. Let’s see if something interesting and different comes my way. It could be in any language.

Binodini Ekti Natir Upakhyan is set to release this year. How challenging was it to play Nati Binodini?

Rukmini Maitra: It is actually a four-year-long journey. That is possibly the most challenging character I have ever taken up. It took so much out of me and gave me so much. It was very difficult to get out of Binodini. We are almost ready with the film and waiting for a good release date.

You have also announced your second venture with Ram Kamal Mukherjee, Draupadi…

Rukmini Maitra: It is still in the writing stage. We are trying to portray the Mahabharata from Drapaudi’s point of view.

What is next for you?

Rukmini Maitra: I am still waiting for good scripts. Tekka by Srijit Mukherji is about to be released. I am done filming and am yet to dub for it. Tekka is super different from what I have done so far.