She has been soaking in the praise coming her way since the teaser of Boomerang dropped, and then the trailer gave a ringside view of how Rukmini Maitra has evolved as an actress. “People have loved the trailer. The response has been great. The comedy has worked, and everyone is extremely keen to watch the film,” smiled Rukmini, who plays a human and a humanoid in the sci-fi comedy Boomerang (starring Jeet and Rukmini), which releases on June 7. A The Telegraph chat.

What was the first thing that struck you when you signed the film?

My director Sauvik Kundu had gone to see a play called Punoray Ruby Ray... it’s a comedy and he loved the play. It’s about a man who has a wife and a robot who looks exactly like his wife. It is a tragedy and a comedy. He proposed the idea (to Jeet’s production house) and they loved it. It sounded fun... it was something new and fresh. In the last two decades, I cannot remember a female lead playing a double role, of a human and a humanoid. Once I saw the play, I was really excited.

Talking about humanoids, did it take you back to your childhood?

Yes, there was a serial that used to come on television called Small Wonder. There was a little girl named Vicky and we all wanted a Vicky of our own. We all wanted Vicky to be our best friend. Somehow Nisha (the robot in Boomerang) was exactly that in a way. People will fall in love with Nisha. Even though she is devoid of human emotions, there is something extremely loveable about her.

What was Vicky’s charm?

As a child, we are so used to playing with dolls. The idea was to have a doll with whom one can interact. It is mesmerising. Imagine you have a doll in your house who can go out with you. There is something magical about it.

But then we all remember Chucky, the evil doll from Child’s Play...

No, no... we are not going there. At times I felt that I could turn Nisha into a bit of Chucky. But my director told me to control my emotions! When we were shooting for extremely long hours, and I felt Chucky’s soul in my system, my director calmed me down. I did not let Chucky take over!

How are fans of Dev responding to your roles in Boomerang?

They are loving it. Fans look up to actors in our country, like Gods and Goddesses, which is the beauty of being an actor in India. Initially, the fans came up with questions like, ‘Why are you not working with Dev?’ When I did Sanak, they asked me: ‘Why are you leaving Bengal?’ I see it as inspiration. I have a simple motto: I do what my heart tells me to do. If I go by the comments I get on social media, then at the end of the day it is no longer my life. It is no longer my decision. It is the decision of anonymous people typing behind keyboards. If I allow myself to commit to that, then I literally will turn into a robot where the remote belongs to somebody else behind a mobile screen.

During Chaamp, you told us that you would ask Raj Chakraborty a lot of questions about your character. And you would request Dev, the producer, to get you chocolates and cake. Did you follow the same routine on the sets of Boomerang?

(Laughs out loud) Times have truly changed. This time for Boomerang I was actually on a diet. Since I play a robot, I had to look a certain way. I told everyone to please eat outside my room! I empathised with Dev for Chaamp. Now I know what he went through... I was hogging all the cakes and chocolates next door, and poor guy, he had to watch me eating all of that. Jeet Sir would tell me to eat something but I told him that I was committed to my character and that I was on a diet. By now, my directors have grown immune to my questions. Sauvik has always explained to me the ‘whys’ and ‘whats’. He is open to improvisation. He is a delight to work with.

How has your acting process changed over the years?

Today I have more clarity about what I am doing and why I am doing it. That is a big change in me. Today I know where I am going right or wrong. I try and be aware of what I’m doing as a performer. Whenever I get a break, I get into an acting workshop. I have realised that I am a spontaneous actor. I internalise a lot of things when it comes to performance. I feel in control of my performance, to an extent.

What would happen if a humanoid appeared in your life?

It becomes so hectic when you are doing promotions... at times I would send the robot in my place. She can fill in for me in certain places. I would do many mischievous things that are not meant to be shared in this interview!

Since you were playing two characters, did you follow a pattern while shooting?

I was shooting for Isha and Nisha on the same day, scene after scene. The robot’s make-up would take two hours. It was time-consuming. I was the first one to enter the set and the last one to leave. I have done my own stunts... like the one where you see me crawling on the ceiling upside down. I have all the BTS. It was 2am, and they put me up with ropes and cranes... I do have a bit of a perfectionist streak in me. I had to get it right. We continued till 3am. The commitment for me really matters. Today when I see that shot on screen, I am happy, creatively satisfied.

Have you become this method actor now?

There is method and spontaneity. Eventually, there is this magic moment between action and cut. Being spontaneous works for me... because I have this rush of emotions in between action and cut. And I cannot do the same shot again. The emotional graph of mine is very spontaneous. It is very alive at that moment.

So if a director tells you to repeat a shot time and again, by the 10th take will you be drained of that emotion?

Possibly yes... my best scenes happen in the first or second take... maximum by the third or fourth or fifth... since we also shoot a scene from various angles. After that fifth take, I might feel that I’m cheating an emotion.

You complete seven years in films this June...

The greatest love stories are born out of chance. And that is exactly what has happened to me when it comes to acting. Now I am in love with it.

Love stories also have tragedies in them...

With Boomerang, it is only comedy (laughs out loud). Hey, it is my seventh year, and they say the number seven is always very lucky.

How does the work or this profession define you now?

I wear my heart on my sleeve. My emotional graph is always at its peak. And acting is something that has taught me to leave behind a bit of my soul in every character that I play every single time. I am so attached to every person in my life. To leave a part of your soul behind and to detach from it... it may seem like a small step for any actor... but it is a giant leap for me. It has taught me a lot of self-determination. I feel actors are like robots... I have immense respect for actors... the profession is so demanding, and maybe that is why we get so much love. I cannot call in sick on a day that I am supposed to be on set... because there is a team of 250 people waiting for me. It is a huge responsibility.

How was your experience working with Jeet?

It has been a great experience. I genuinely share a beautiful bond with him. He made me very comfortable. There were moments when he helped me with my performance as well. He has been there throughout... every time I did something good, he was the first one to come up and say: ‘Rukmini, you have done a great job.’

Are you the only one who can get the two superstars — Dev and Jeet — to come together in a film?!

How do you know my plan?! I would love to have a Rukmini Maitra Production, and be extremely grateful if both Jeet Sir and Dev came on board for the film. It will be the biggest collab. I really hope it happens soon, irrespective of me. I have been slyly proposing the idea to both (laughs). And I’ll be the manager on set for the two of them. I know their dos and don’ts!

For Rukmini’s cover photograph
Picture: Surja Mondal
Outfit: Eshaani Jayaswal
Make-up artist: Bithika Benia
Hair stylist: Mousami Chhetri