Tillotama Shome shares what draws her to a script, why she chose to play Bindi in the Netflix series Tribhuvan Mishra CA Topper, her camaraderie with Konkona Sensharma, and her Kolkata connection.
What did you like about Bindi that you said yes to the role?
Tillotama Shome: The human being that Puneet Krishna ( showrunner, writer, director ) is, was the biggest reason for saying yes to the show. The character of Bindi was an unexpected bonus! I was out of my depth in Bindi's colourful, complex world but was aching to step into her skin. Her fantasies are a Bollywood-fueled romantic spectacle, both tender and grand; a world I have never tried as an actor. I was delighted to read a screenplay that gives women agency and space to articulate desire without a sense of shame or apology.
How did you prepare for the character?
Tillotama Shome: I read the script many times, and each time different thoughts about the story and the character emerge. I share this with the director and a dance begins. It is familiar but always different with each director and each story.
How was it to work with Manav Kaul?
Tillotama Shome: He is a wonderfully supportive co-actor. We had never worked before and yet he was very perceptive. I froze right before we were supposed to do an impromptu dance sequence. He quickly broke down the steps, chunking information into tiny digestible pieces and then we danced our hearts out. I won’t forget his grace from that day.
It was Mira Nair’s Monsoon Wedding with which you made your debut 23 years ago. How do you look back at your journey?
Tillotama Shome: It has been a while since Alice (in Monsoon Wedding), and I am still standing here, doing what I love doing. I am very aware of the passage of time, the last 20 years were dearly felt and lived. Everything took time. I have had many moments of despair and doubt and continue to have them. The changes internally have been far more dramatic than the changes externally. Earlier it was all about the work and the career; now it's all about the people and their stories. I don't know where I am headed, but I am grateful for the abundance of the last few years of work. Perhaps, it's a gift of waiting that long without losing my mind entirely.
In Kota Factory, you play a teacher, Pooja Didi, who is very different from Bindi or Lipika from The Night Manager. What is it about the script that you have to like to say yes?
Tillotama Shome: The people who lead the project, the script in its entirety, the money, the character — in order of importance. This is roughly the sequence but in reality, things are often out of order, like life!
The Mirror from Lust Stories received a lot of positive responses. How did the director-actor relationship play out with Konkona Sensharma?
Tillotama Shome: The Mirror was a wickedly fun journey and Konkona has left me as an actor wanting for more. But I think I will have to wait as she has already cast me twice. Beyond the friendship, I love her mind. She lives with a certain discipline and pragmatism that I find inspiring and endearing.
As a director, she understands the regressive narrative around women/casting/beauty and hence is sensitive in how she handles actors. She is a ruthlessly good writer because she is capable of objectivity. She is a meticulous planner, so the blueprint for an actor to walk onto is a well-lit path with clear directions, and yet the subject matter is so engaging and charged that one feels safe and stimulated at the same time.
Are the roles coming your way now more fulfilling than before?
Tillotama Shome: I am grateful for the work I have received, especially in the last few years, and feel creatively very alive. Some of the storytellers I have worked with are people I will continue to learn from beyond the scope of work. I feel a sense of fulfilment about that. Am I satiated work-wise? Honestly, no, I feel I have just started.
Do you plan to direct anytime?
Tillotama Shome: I would love to get there.
Can you talk about your Kolkata connection? What do you like to do when you’re in town?
Tillotama Shome: I was born in Kolkata but then moved to various parts of India because my father was in the Air Force. Kolkata was always the summer holiday destination, the annual fiesta with all my cousins, grandmothers and grandfathers. However, since my parents moved to Kolkata a few years ago, it feels more like home than ever before.
I go for walks with my parents, eat home-cooked food, have long adda sessions with the family, visit Seagull Bookstore, have one customary meal at Sienna cafe, phuchka session, trips outside Kolkata to explore the more pastoral parts of West Bengal and return to Bombay with a cute food belly, old books, mishti and chanachur.
What is next in the pipeline for you?
Tillotama Shome: A feature film by Saumyananda Sahi and Tanushree Das that is very close to my heart. Two other films by makers whose voice excites me deeply. I am impatient to start shooting for it but I will have to wait. The good ones take time and time. I am a big fan of Pataal Lok Season 1 and was overjoyed to be a part of its second season. I cannot wait to watch the show with the team and relive the memories of one of the best shoots of my career.