Rituparna Sengupta first read the novel Datta by Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay many years ago. “It was truly engaging and beautiful. I felt the way Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay delved into the hearts of the people is really phenomenal. Datta is exceptional in every sense. Bijoya is so real in every sense of the word,” smiles Rituparna, who plays Bijoya in Datta, which releases on June 16. A t2 chat with Rituparna.

Your film releases this Friday. What are your thoughts right now?

I am excited, nervous curious and anxious... it’s like an examination result coming out! Bijoya is so independent and incredibly intelligent. She is the epitome of individuality.

Why do you feel it is an important film?

It’s an important film because it actually speaks volumes about the society and the entire community. Bijoya to me is not only a very strong female character but someone with a lot of emotional value to me. Bijoya has an uncanny sense of personality and an unusual reservoir of emotions. Her plethora of emotions is so widespread and deep that sometimes I got smitten by the depths of her thought process. Bijoya’s romanticism was so bold, wrapped with tenderness and love... most of the time absent in expressions but her heart poured out everything so silently... the sexual tension inside her... the unspoken lines on her lips, her gravity, her romance and the sense of power inside leaves a mark.

What meaning does it hold for you?

It is very significant for me. The film talks about the socio-economic (situation) as well as intricate human relationships... over the years the intricacies may have changed but it’s relevant to the core. Few things in life never change, like love, betrayal, hope and dejection... the fundamentals remain the same. In every society it resonates in its own way... the inner conscience wakes up and a voice emerges, which comes through the Bijoyas of all societies.

You have known director Nirmal Chakraborty for many years. How did you first react when he decided to direct the film?

Nirmalda had nursed this idea of making a film for a long time... being a photographer and journalist, he always had a flair for direction. A few years ago he had told me that he wants to direct a film and then suddenly one fine day he said that it would be really nice if we do Datta. I quite liked the idea of playing Bijoya. We mutually agreed and thus Datta got made.

How was Nirmal as a director?

As Nirmalda donned the hat of a director we were all quite intrigued and curious to see how he would pan out as a director. He actually was pretty confident and strong. He sat with the script and made several interesting changes with the script writer Sumitro Bannerjee.

Joy Sarkar has decorated the film with a plethora of Tagore songs and a mesmerising background score with eminent voices like Babul Supriyo, Aditi Gupta, and Riddhi Bandopadhyay. The music and trailer have got a wonderful response and we are very optimistic about our film. The rest depends upon the audience. Cinema made from literature has always made people curious and left an immense impact. Datta is a treat to our new generation as well as for those who have kind of lost touch with our literature. Visual storytelling might attract our youngsters today, and as we know Datta is timeless.

Datta has been made twice before. How is your Datta different?

Datta’s USP is its unique storyline, beautifully etched characters and their convictions. Be it Bilash, Rash Behari, Naren or Bijoya, every character is so authentic, convincing and mapped. The captivating conversations among the characters, the reflection of the feudal society, the nature of the society... everything is so well expressed through the eyes of the principal characters that it leaves a long-lasting impression on our minds, which impacts us even today. The truth behind a lot of things gets revealed in subtle ways.

Tell us about your character.

Bijoya is a unique example of woman’s emancipation which, is like a wake-up call for all women to rise above inhibitions and setbacks to fight the system internally and externally. The extreme tension points in the novel, handled by Bijoya, cause me to think about what a writer’s imagination could be about a woman. Her thoughts and her internal fights work as an inspiration. She is someone who celebrated life in her own way.